


Dragging the Lies on

by AssassinPyro13



Series: Asylum Love [2]
Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: Asylum Fic, But it is old. My writing HAS gotten better, Character Death, I'm doing a thing for an old complete story, Ivan is kinda oblivious, Ivan's Dad?! Le gasp!, Like Highschool old!, M/M, Maybe - Freeform, Mpreg, OOoooh look! Tags, Smut, Very old!, more tags will be added, old fic, seriously, this is OLD!!!
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-19
Updated: 2016-11-19
Packaged: 2018-08-31 21:15:30
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 21
Words: 36,700
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8594086
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/AssassinPyro13/pseuds/AssassinPyro13
Summary: Squeal to "The Insanity of Romance"Ivan clutched his chest as he gave a painful smile "They said that life would be better when we won... They lied."' No, nothing was better, Ludwig was heavily pregnant with their second child and ten year old Gilbert was always in trouble and now, with the economy, had barley any money to live on. What a mess.





	1. Chapter 1

~Gilbert's POV~

"G-Gil...I'm not so sure about this. We could get caught." I couldn't help but smile at my meek friend as we snuck out during school hours. Hey, what's the harm in having a little fun? "Don't worry, Dan. I'm too awesome to get caught." I boasted and pointed a thumb at myself in my awesome victory. Dan whimpered and shifted one foot to the other.

"You may not but I surely can. I'm not like my dad. I can't magically disappear whenever I want." I wanted to smack myself. Times like these, I wondered why I even bother to bring him along. But then I remember...He's my friend. My only friend in fact, excluding the adults that mama and papa hang around with.

I took my backpack and set it beside me on the side walk and plop down next to it, the concrete hurting my bum as I had landed but I didn't mind. I unzipped my back and took out a pocket knife that Alfred gave me. Dan's eyes grew when he saw me lift it out of my bag. "You don't really bring that to school do you?! You could get into so much trouble." Then he began to breathe heavy and his thick glasses slid down his nose.

"Ah, Ah! I'm hyperventilating!" I rolled my eyes. The kid panicked too much. As he used his inhaler, I put the knife back in my bag. "Chill out, Dan! I'm not going to use it and no I don't normally bring it to school. I was just looking for this." Then I pick up a can of sunflower yellow spray paint that Francis had secretly gave me on my birthday last week.

Dan's panic didn't stop but it lessened as he put his inhaler away. "W-Why di-did you b-bring that?!" He squeaked and shifted more. I smirked and looked at the old abandoned asylum that had been empty for around fife years when the Swedish guy sold it because of financial problems. I never knew it's history but I do know that most of the people I know hate this place and avoid going here when they could.

"I'm going to make this place shine. Gray is such a dull color." As I picked up my bag and crawled through a large hole in the fence with Dan following behind as he tried to talk me out of it. "Gil, that's vandalism! It's against the law! And what about your parents?! How do you think they'll react?!" I never lost my smirk as we stepped up to the building.

I shook the can. "They'll never find out it was us if we're quick enough. Now keep watch." I opened the lid and held my breathe as I sprayed the paint in a pattern of a sunflower (I'm not much of an artist so it didn't actually look like one. It looked more like a daisy).

"B-But Gil, Sunflower Yellow?! Really." That was Dan's last protest. I stopped spraying only long enough to say "So what, I like sunflowers and the color yellow. Just like papa." Then I went back. It was quiet for a long while and my progress progressed slowly. I was almost done when Dan began to cry as he shouted "Gilbert! I hear sirens!"

~Ludwig (Hours later)~

To say that I was upset and disappointed was an understatement. The second I saw my son being led up to the door by two police men with another young boy in the back seat crying, I saw red. Now he was sitting on the couch, tense and twiddling his thumbs, knowing he was in trouble. I stood in front of him with my arms crossed on my very large stomach.

"Gilbert." I said, trying very hard to control my temper. "This is the fourth time this week! And not to mention the weeks before. What were you thinking?! Vandalizing a building and with spray paint?! Where in the world did your brain go and how did you get your hands on spray paint?! I would expect this from Alfred but not you!"

He said nothing and looked down at his feet. I took deep breaths. "You're luck that you're ten. Had you been just a little bit older, you would have been sent to juvenile court!? Do you WANT to go to prison?! Are you Trying to get into trouble?! You've done something so incredibly stupid and dangerous and what's worse, you put poor Dan in this as well! How am I going to explain this to Matthew?!"

"I'm sorry mama." Gilbert weakly said. But that was all. I huffed out my aggravation and anxiety. "Go to your room Gilbert." I said calmly. "You're grounded. No games, no going out to visit Dan, no electronics whatever. You can either do chores or read a book for entertainment for the next two months." Gilbert's head shot up and his mouth opened to resort when it closed and he got from the couch and began to walk up the stair when he stopped half way and looked down at me.

"Shouldn't I at least get one phone call?" He asked. "GILBERT! GO! You're getting off easy! Believe me! Had we been in Germany, your ass would have been in prison already for years before getting trial! Be glad America has such a forgiving system! Go to your room! And don't come down for the rest of the day unless for dinner or the bathroom!" He looked ready to cry as he ran up the rest of the stairs without a word and I heard his door slam shut and lock.

Anger gave away to hormones and tears as I sank to the couch and cried. I had no idea what to do with that child anymore. He was just like my brother. Always getting himself in trouble.

"Ludwig?" I heard Ivan call out. I hugged myself tightly as he came in the room. "I'm home, love. I heard shouting while I was getting out from the car." He sat beside me and hugged me close to him. "Gilbert got himself in trouble with the law again and this time, he got Matthew's son involved."

Ivan's eyebrows shot up in surprise. "Matthew's little boy? The child is much too gentle to be in trouble of this nature. Maybe if we told him what happened, young Dan would be spared of a grounding. Tell me, how long is he grounded for?"

I sighed. Ivan always did understand. I felt his hand rub my sore back and I gave another sigh in content. "Two months." He made a soft noise. "He's lucky. If I had done that when I was little, Katyusha would have taken a whip to my bottom and then ground me for a whole year. She'd done that before but I had accidentally caught the dog on fire...He was fine afterward. She had cried the entire time of my grounding because she hated to do it but the whole thing was good for me."

I gave a smile. "Gilbert, my big brother that is, he never was good with his punishing. He was immature sometimes. I ended up being the responsible one. His idea of punishing was forcing me to drink the entire can of beer that I opened when I was seven." I laughed at the memory. "I had to have it gone by the time he got back from work."

Ivan smiled, his violet eyes shone dully. That was a sign of how tired he was but he never shown it. "What did Gilbert do?" He asked. "He used to work for the post office." I responded then looked at him in all seriousness. "Speaking of work. How did the interview go?"

~Gilbert's POV~

I couldn't stay in my room. I just couldn't. Every fiber of my being cried out for me to disobey mama. Like there was something important I needed to know. I had tip toed out of my room, being as quiet as I could when I head mama talking to papa who had apparently just got home. I sat at the top of the stairs and listened.

"I'm afraid that I didn't get the job. With the way the economy, people are just not hiring as they used to. I just barely got the job I had before due to my background at the asylum." Papa spoke. He sounded so tired and weak. Two things I had never thought I'd have to witness from papa. Him and mama were so strong. But the words rung in my head. His time at the Asylum? Papa was in an asylum?

A wet nose touched my cheek from our golden retriever Minnie. I patted her head and she gave me a lick before lying down beside me.

"The same has happened to the others." Mama spoke. "Alfred is so sick lately and it's taking all Matthew can to to raise Dan and take care of his older cousin." I heard papa sigh. "What of Arthur. He hasn't been around in weeks. I haven't heard anything on him."

"He's finally gotten better from his heart cancer. It was a miracle he managed to pull through and got rid of it. But there is a chance it may come back. Francis and him had gotten together but Francis has been ill lately. He's been puking a lot. Then there's Feliciano. He called earlier. He won't be able to watch over Gilbert next week because he's gotten himself a girlfriend and is taking her to Italy for a few days." I heard from mama. But he sounded like he had been crying.

Papa made a soft noise and then spoke. "I heard from Elizabeta that Roderich was showing signs of waking up from his coma." Who was Roderich?

"That's nice." Mama said like he was slowly falling asleep. It was quiet for a few seconds. "Ludwig?" Papa asked and mama responded with a sleepy "Hmmm?"

"I'm glad we got out of the asylum. We had the chance to raise Gilbert right. Even if he gets in trouble with the law." mama said nothing. I think he was asleep.

~Dan's POV~

"Are you going to be alright, kid? This is a bad neighborhood." The police man said from the front seat of his car. I nodded. "Yes. I live just down the street. Uncle Alfred is staying with us so I'm not really alone or liable to be harmed." I half lied. I did live down the street and Uncle Alfred was staying with us but there was just as much opportunity of me getting hurt just as much as everyone else.

He nodded and drove away, leaving me on the sidewalk. I headed to the dirty sidewalk to the apartment building in shame. My first offense so this was pretty much as a warning for me. I knew if I told father what happened, he wouldn't be too angry. I reached the apartment and reached our room on the third floor.

Stepping in, I heard snores from Uncle Alfred as I had been these days. I took a glance at him. On the couch, He was pale as usual and his hair was dull in color. The only color on his face was the pink tinge where his fever had been getting worse.

He shivered and brought the blanket closer and opened his eyes and he smiled weakly. "Hey, dude. You home ok?" He asked softly with his voice croaking. I forced a smile. "Yeah. Aside from the trouble with the police and Gilbert, I'm fine." He just smiled with that dopy smile as his eyes drooped. "That's great, dude." with that, he fell back asleep and I took the cold, wet wash cloth from the bowl of water and placed it on his forehead.

I watched my uncle for a while when I heard father on the phone. "Police?...yes...I understand...no, he's not in trouble. It wasn't Dan's fault, I know...Yes, thank you for calling and informing me...bye." Then father came in to the living room with a sad expression on his face.

"Welcome home, Dan." He said and walked over to uncle Alfred's side and checked his fever. "I wish we had medicine for him dad." I whimper. "He's so sick. He forgot who I was yesterday." dad gave me a look and I knew how he felt. Uncle Alfred was our rock. What will happen to us if he dies? I hope he doesn't. He's all we have ever since mom walked out on us when she found out about the asylum.

"I don't want him to die." dad bit his lip and hugged me close. "Alfred isn't going to die. He's too strong. If he was, he would have died that day we found him in the lake." I felt the top of my head getting wet from dad crying. "Alfred won't leave us. He's too strong for that."


	2. Chapter 2

~Gilbert's POV (One week later)~

I sat on the stairs with Maggie laying beside me. Mama was getting ready to head out while we were waiting for the babysitter. Mama was hurrying as fast as he could to get ready to work. "Gilbert, when he gets here, I want you to be on your best behavior. And remember." he said with a silent warning. "You're still grounded and no electronics."

I grumbled as there was a knock on the door and mama rushed to open it. When I saw who it was, I almost fell over as Maggie got up and ran to the man while wagging her tail and licking his hand as he pet her on the top of his head.

"Francis!" I got up and hurried to the French man and hugged him as he laughed when he hugged me back. "Hello, Gilbert! Are you ready four our day together." I smiled and nodded. Mama sighed. "I should be back around ten so make sure he's home by then. Six o'clock is dinner time and you know my number." Mama said. Francis nodded in return.

Not saying another word, mama kidded my head and went out the door and drove away. Francis laughed as he shut the house door. "Come, Go watch tv. We don't have to tell Ludwig." With a cheer, I ran to the living room and turned it on while Francis went to the kitchen.

I watched tv for a good few minutes as I cheered on my favorite hero, the Hulk. "Gilbert." Francis called from the kitchen and soon, his head popped in the doorway of the living room. "I was going to make some cookies since I know you like them but you're apparently out of milk. Should we go get some more?"

I jumped up from the couch and turned off the television. "Yes!" I cried excitedly. I had been cooped up here too long.

The store we went to wasn't very big but it had all that we needed. Apparently, milk wasn't the only thing we were missing considering the list of groceries mama and papa had written out so we decided to get them while we were here. "Let's see." Francis stated as he looked at the list and stopped the cart. "You need some...toothpaste. Gilbert, what kind do you use?" He asked as he scanned through them all. I picked up a box and tossed it in the cart.

"Silly Francis. We use Crest. Obviously. It's the most awesome brand ever." Francis just smiled at my words. "Oh, of course. That was silly of me. What was I thinking." I could tell he was joking but that was okay.

Next, we went to the canned isle to get some green beans and carrots. Francis had left me by the cart as he went a little ways down the isle and took a hand full of what papa usually gets and was heading back when two men bumped into him, causing him to fall and all the stuff scatter on the floor. I stood there in shock as the took a look at Francis before turning away and walking to another isle while high fiving one another and one spat out the words "Disgusting freak." as they passed. When they had gone, I hurried to Francis who was on his knees as he picked up the cans he had dropped.

I grabbed a can of carrots and handed it to him. "Are you okay, Francis?" I asked worriedly. Francis didn't look at me as he put on a forced smile. "Ah, yes. Silly me. I should watch were I am going, yes?" What he said didn't even sound like him. The Francis I knew would have fought back. He would never have claimed it was his fault when it wasn't. That Francis had been around a few weeks ago.

"Why didn't you fight back?! They bumped in to you and knocked you over, not the other way around! That was not awesome! We should report that."

"NO!" Francis blurted out in fear. I jumped with his shout. His face was pale and his eyes were wide and I saw him sweat a little before he composed himself and looked down and grabbed the last can. "No. It is alright. I am fine. I'm not hurting and there was no blood drawn or threats of my life. No need to call the police." Never before had I seen him so weak. So submissive.

"B-But, Francis." I protested. Finally he face me with closed eyes and a wide smile. But I knew it was fake. "Do not worry about it, Gilbert. Lets enjoy our time together. And when we get back, I shall make you a lovely treat from my home country. How does that sound? Desert before dinner. It's a backwards kind of day, yes?"

I said nothing and helped him on his feet. And as I watched him walk to the cart to put the stuff in, I swore I saw him limp...

~Ludwig's POV~

I sighed and rubbed my back as I finally dropped off the big, heavy box of papers that I was to file for my boss. Who knew that there would be so much paper work for a pet store? I looked out the window of the store to where my car was. It was all so tempting to go to it and sleep. I was so tired. I bent down to pick the box up and the next thing I knew, I was shoved and fell face first to the floor, barely managing to land on my side. As I laid there groaning, there was sounds of laughter and footsteps leaving. "Moron!" They called out as the left.

I let another groan as pain wracked my body. As I sat up, I made an attempt to stand but pain flared through my stomach and thigh. I could not stand. There was a wet liquid streaming down from between my legs and the pain intensified. No! Not now! I'm only seven months along! I can't be giving birth now! Was it the fall?!

I could hear my boss call worriedly from the back room, I could not respond to him as I fished my phone from my pocket and dialed a number before placing it to my ear.

"Hello?" Ivan asked from the other end.

"Ivan?" I whimpered. "I need to get to the hospital."

~Arthur's POV~

I could not express how great it was to have hair again. Of course I had been saying that for years so I'm guessing you can get the point. I gave a content sigh as I finished brushing my hair. One never truly appreciates hair until they've lost it. Francis had always told me that. I looked to the chair by the window. He had depressed for a few days now and all that time, He spent most of his hours in that chair, just looking out.

I just didn't understand it. He'd been like that ever since he got back from the hospital. He had been sick for weeks and got tests done and came back a mess. Anxiety rose in me at the fact that I didn't know what was wrong. Francis had assured me that he had no illness of any sort. He just told me that it brought back memories he didn't want to relive.

There were so many memories that he had that I couldn't even begin to list off. He just wouldn't tell me what was wrong with him. The ring from my cell phone startled me and I jumped. Quickly composing myself, I took it from the dresser, I answered it.

"Good morning, Francis." I say politely. I heard his voice quiver. Whether it was from fear or depression, I had no idea. "What's wrong, Francis?" I asked in my concern.

"Arthur, Gilbert is going to need to stay with us for a while. Something has happened to Ludwig and both he and Ivan are at the hospital." I scrunched my eyebrows. "What happened?"

"I will not talk about it over the phone. I'm going to wake Gilbert and bring him over. Then I will tell you what happened when he's asleep there." That was all he said on the matter. I sigh. "Alright, love. I will have the hid-abed out and made for him. Just be safe."

I heard a sniff. "I will. Love you."

"Love you too, frog." Then I hung up and went to the living room to take the bed from the couch for Gilbert to sleep on.

They didn't take long to get here. But poor Gilbert was asleep in Francis' arms and Francis was also dragging a small back of what seemed to be things for Gilbert. I took the boy from him. "I have everything set." I spoke softly. Francis nodded and placed the bag in the living room and I put Gilbert on the bed and tucked him in before following the Frenchman into the kitchen.

"What happened?" I repeated my earlier question. He rubbed his face in his hands. "Earlier today," he began. "Gilbert and I had been at the store, getting groceries when I was knocked over by two big, burly men. Gilbert had seen it. The same men went to the pet shop where Ludwig was working and pushed him over roughly." His breathing got a little harsh.

"Something in the womb was knocked lose. The doctors don't know if the baby will even survive to be born. He was bleeding so bad. Ivan had to take him there since Ludwig's boss was too busy freaking out as he tried to call the police for assault on an employee."

"Assault?...Does Gilbert know?" I ask. Francis shook his head and wrung his fingers on his blue hoodie. "No. I was going to tell him tomorrow morning." I look at the calender over his shoulder. "Today's Thursday. He has school tomorrow morning."

Francis rolled his eyes in disbelief. "Tomorrow afternoon then. He needs his sleep. We don't know how long those two are going to be there." I nodded. "I agree. The lad needs all the sleep he can get for what he's going to be told tomorrow. Who was it that told you to bring Gilbert here?"

"That was Ivan. He wasn't going to leave Ludwig alone in the hospital and he trusts us with his son. Not that he has any reason not to. We're friends." He was shaking and growing paler. This was odd behavior for him.

"Francis, you don't have to justify yourself. Ludwig and Ivan would trust even Alfred to watch over Gilbert, that's how close we all are since the asylum." I soothe. He was still shaking but he was getting color back. I bring him in my arms. "Everything's going to be alright." Francis said nothing as he hugged me back and buried his face into my chest.

~Ivan's POV~

I sat in the hospital waiting room and nearly laughed at the irony. This was the same hospital that everyone who managed to escape the asylum and the same place that Gilbert was born. My hands were clasped under my chin and one leg jumped in anticipation. It all was so infuriating. They wouldn't let me in. I want to be there with him.

I bit my lip and cursed those two men. When I find out who they were and what they look like, I'll make them pay. One limb at a time.


	3. Chapter 3

~Gilbert's POV~

When I woke up, I could vaguely recall Francis waking me up saying that mama and papa told him to watch over me for a few days. That did not make sense and it was so sudden. Why did they ask that of him? I got out of bed in a bad mood and went to the kitchen. I was pretty familiar with the house because I was here a lot when I was little. I came in to see Francis and Arthur eating breakfast. When they saw me, their faces brightened.

"Good morning, Gilbert. You're early. I was just about to wake you for school." Arthur said and put his toast back on the plate. Francis said nothing. I grabbed my right arm. "Where's mama and papa?" I ask. Arthur's smile faltered for a little while.

"Gilbert." Francis said softly and held his mug tightly. "We will tell you when you get back from school. We think it best if you didn't have this on your mind all day." I puffed my cheeks in annoyance but said no more.

"I have made all the arrangements for the bus to pick you up and drop you off here since no one is at your home." Arthur said as he got up and began to pour me cereal which was a relief since he can't cook. I sat in the empty chair that sat sticking out from the table. "What about Maggie? She needs her daily walks and her feedings. Who's going to watch tv with her? She loves watching the doggy Olympics! I make sure she could watch it every day." Arthur placed the cereal in front of me.

"Feliciano has agreed to take care of her for a while until you get a little more settled." I let out a noise to announce that I was unhappy with Maggie not being here. Arthur sighed and looked to Francis who looked to be in deep thought as he stared at his drink before he bent to my eye level closely to me.

"Gilbert, Francis can't handle a dog in the house at the moment. He hasn't been the same for a few weeks-"

"It's okay, Arthur. We can have the dog here." Francis said weakly. "Really. Maggie would be the best for Gilbert to cope." Arthur grumbled and rubbed his face with a hand. "Yes, but what about you? You haven't been the same since the hospital trip and I'm not so sure that a dog in the house would be good for you."

Francis said nothing. Arthur sighed again. "Fine. I'll see what I can do. But if you can't handle her being here, she goes back to Feliciano. I'm not going to have you feeling worse." I gave a look at Francis. Was he sick?

"What is he talking about Francis?" I ask in concern. "Are you sick? Why did you go to the hospital?" He gave me a smile. "Do not worry yourself over that. You best eat and get ready. The bus will be here in an hour."

~Francis' POV~

Gilbert was quick to get ready and was on the bus shortly after. I went back to Arthur's and my room and sat in the chair by the window. Placing a hand on my small stomach, my mind flashed to my first child and I cursed the asylum again. We were nothing but animals to those people. Just something to test stuff on. And I was the pregnant lab rat.

They were also the reason that Arthur nearly died of the same cancer my first child had gotten from the same medicine. The loss of my daughter was horrible. Was I ready to go through it again? Was I even ready for this child? Both were Arthur's children. Only one dies and one was still growing. I never told him about his first child. I'm not even sure if I should tell him of the second one. Would he even accept us?

The doctors are worried about me going through this second pregnancy. They told me that there was a high chance of me becoming suicidal after birth. My depression was so high. And being assaulted by those two men for days after I found out about the baby, didn't help any.

I was so confused. I didn't even know them but they looked so familiar. It's like I've seen them before. And they frighten me so much. Something about them scared me so very badly. I couldn't tell Arthur though. He wouldn't understand. And even if he did, there'd be nothing he could do.

"Francis?" I heard Arthur call from the doorway and I quickly took my hand off my stomach but it was too late. He had seen the movement. He walked calmly to me with a concerned look on his face as he knelt down and took my hands in mine.

"I believe you have something to tell me." And I couldn't help it. I broke down then and there and told him everything. He held me close and patted my back.

"It will be alright, Francis." He murmured and placed a kiss to my forehead. "We will get through this. You are not alone."

~Ludwig's POV~

There were many things that were off that I couldn't place. First, I was well away about my large stomach and the things attached to it to check up on the heart rate of the baby. Both of us were alright now. I nearly went into early labor but they managed to stop it.

Second, I was well aware on how doped up I was but I didn't care. At this point, I was in happy land with all the rainbows I saw as I looked at bright lights.

"Pretty." I say and let off a smile which made Ivan laugh. I'm guessing it was goofy. "What is pretty, Ludwig?" He asked and I turned to him and almost laughed in hysterics. When did he dress like a leprechaun?!

"Where's your lucky charms mister leprechaun?! Don't tell me the munchie minchkins got them first. Ai, after me pot o' gold!" Then I began laughing in hysterics as I tried to put it off but failed. Ivan struggled to keep from joining me in my hysterics as he bit his lip.

"What on earth are you talking about, Ludwig? I am no leprechaun. I am your lover, Ivan." I could hear the amusement in his voice. "Unicorns." I say and looked at the magical man with a stupid grin. "Never knew what hit 'em." Ivan laughed. "This sound so much like what Arthur would say."

"Point lusey mary!" I cried and pointed to the ceiling. "How much pain killer did they give you, love?" He rubbed my head and I felt my eyes drooping. I felt Ivan's cold lips touch my forehead. "Sleep, love." I smiled and my eyes slowly closed and my mind faded into the darkness of sleep. Ivan never left my side as I slept.

~Gilbert's POV~

"Francis, Arthur! I'm back!" I yelled out when I closed the door. Instead of them answering, I found myself trampled by a very familiar golden retriever known as-

"Maggie!" I cried and patted her as she licked my face lovingly. I laughed as her tongue washed my face. "Gilbert?" I heard Arthur ask as he came into the room. Maggie, as if she could sense how serious the mood was, calmed down and sat obediently.

"Arthur, where's Francis?" I questioned and went over to the Englishman. His eyes looked tired and weary. "He's asleep." He responded and he took my hand and led me to the living room where we sat on the hid-abed. "Are you going to tell me about mama and papa now?" I found my voice shaking. He nodded. "Yes. Gilbert, Yesterday, Ludwig was put in the hospital."

"What!?" I cried in alarm and Maggie laid down and placed her paws on her ears. "What happened?! Why is mama there?!" Arthur rubbed my arms soothingly. "The two men that Francis and you ran into yesterday had shoved Ludwig rather violently and he almost went into early labor." He reasoned. "Both him and Ivan are alright as well as the baby but your mama won't be released until a few weeks just to make sure he's fine."

I bit my lip. "But what about papa? What happened to him?" Arthur gave a weak smile. "Ivan's fine but he was terrified. He's staying with Ludwig until he gets better."

I stormed out of the room with Maggie following. I needed to call Dan. He'd know what to do. "So not awesome." I complained. I missed Arthur's smile strain as he said "Yes, Gilbert. I know."

OOO

"I don't know what to do, Dan." I said with the phone up to my ear. I know mama didn't want me to talk to Dan on the phone until my grounding was over but at this point, I don't think it really is important right now.

"It's alright, Gilbert. Uncle Alfred used to always say that Ludwig was too stubborn to just give up. And Ivan was too much of a jerk to let him so I think they'll be okay." He responded and I heard snores from the other end. I'm guessing that was Alfred. Who else talked about heroes while sleeping?

"I know. But something is really bothering me. I had another dream last night, Dan. It had mama in it but mama was around my age and I had this dream that I was older. Much older than what I was now. And mama was really hurt or sick in it." I said urgently, still shocked by my dream. I've had others like this before and this was getting creepy. Each time I had one, I would tell Dan about them.

"Want to talk about it?" He asked from his end.

"Yeah...Mama looked around fifteen and he was in a big bed with a bad fever and I had this weird feeling like he had been sleeping like that for days. And in that dream, the older version of me had gone up to this really scary man to ask for medicine. In my dream, I didn't have enough money so I made a deal with them and said that I'd have the money for them when mama got better. It was really scary. So how unawesome is that?!"

"Gilbert, there is no such thing as 'unawesome' but you said that in your dream, your mama had a high fever. Was he pale and off color? Did he often forget things?"

"Well, yes, how did you know?" Now Dan was becoming creepy.

"Uncle Alfred is like that right now. Do you know anything about the medicine in your dream?" I could hear hope in his voice.

"Umm..." I shifted on my feet. "It was pink. I know that. I don't know. It had a long name that make me think of constipation. But Dan, this was just a dream. I don't think there is such a medicine in real life."

"Never hurts to try, Gilbert. And thanks."

"No, thanks for listening, man."


	4. Chapter 4

~Gilbert's POV~

Arthur had taken me to the hospital after school today. I was a bit sad that I had to leave Maggie behind but Arthur assured me that Francis would be more than happy to watch the doggy Olympics with her while we were gone so now here we were. I was a bit nervous when we first stepped foot into the waiting room of the hospital. As Arthur went up to the counter to check which room mama was in, I sat quietly in a stiff chair and swung my feet back and forth as I waited. I didn't wait too long when I looked up to see papa coming from down a hallway with a cup in his hand.

"Papa!" I cried and got from my seat and ran up to him as fast as my legs could take me. Papa jumped a bit when he heard me yell but didn't spill the drink in the cup. When he saw me coming, he bent down and set the cup on the floor and opened his arms wide, allowing me to fall into a hug.

"Gilbert! What are you doing here?" He asked happily and lifted me off the floor as he used his free hand to grab the cup. I gave a cheeky smile. "I'm just that awesome!" I bragged. I watched as he rolled his eyes. Arthur managed to catch up with me. "Actually, I brought him, Ivan." Papa rubbed my head.

"Well that explains it."

Squirming excitedly I cry out "How's mama?" Papa shifted me in his arm. "Ludwig is fine, Gilbert. He will be fine. The baby isn't coming anytime soon so that's good. I don't think you're ready for your brother or sister so soon, yes?" He answered with a smile. I poke his nose. "I wanna see him." I order but with how small I was compared to papa, it didn't matter much.

Papa grinned in that childish way that he usually does when he's amused. "Of course you do. But Ludwig is asleep right now. I don't think-"

"Please papa." I beg and made my eyes go wide. "Well I'm sure he won't mind. But you have to be quiet." Papa continued. As he walked down the hall with me in his arms, I heard Arthur call out, "I'm going to the cafeteria. Meet me there when you're done."

The room mama was in was was quiet aside from the beeping of the machines that were hooked up to his stomach and chest. The IV tube slowly dripped with each beep of the machine. On the bed, Mama was asleep on the bed, his stomach still as big as I remembered it. Papa set me down as he went and sat down on a chair beside mama's bed. I quickly ran over and jumped on the bed and lay down to cuddle him.

~Arthur's POV~

I grabbed an apple and a bottle of water and paid for them at the register. After paying for my food, I rent to a table nearby.

"Oh look, a third freak." I instantly froze at the voice. Turning around, I managed to see a fist coming to my face before actually feeling the impact and falling to the floor with my hands to my face with blood gushing from my nose. "What is bloody wrong with you!" I yelled to the man from my position on the floor when I took my hands from my face to see that it was in fact, TWO men. Bother were big and burly like they just broke out of jail.

Both had blood thirsty smirks on their faces as they advanced on me and pulled me up on my feet by the front of my shirt. I cursed at the fact that the cafeteria was relatively empty aside from us three and the cashier. "Come on, little man. Let's go have some fun shall we?" One with the scar on his eye said and next thing I knew, a sack was thrown over my heard and I was hit with a hard object on the back of my head, knocking me out.

~Francis' POV~

I sat for hours at the window, waiting for Arthur and Gilbert to get back. Maggie whined as she rested her furry head on my lap and I pet her and she gave a doggy groan. I bit my lip as they would have normally been here by now as the sun was setting.

I got up as the phone rang and I picked it up off it's receiver in the hallway. "Hello?" I ask and moved the cord from my arm as it tried to wrap around it.

"Francis, is Arthur there?" Ivan? Why did he sound so worried?

"No, he's not here. I thought that he was still over there." I spoke as the anxiety in me rose more.

"He's not over here. Gilbert and I had thought that he would have called you or stopped by." I gripped myself as I realized that my rock was missing. "Do not panic, Francis. I'll call the police, alright?"

I took deeps breathes as an answer to his question. "I'm going now. Do you want to come over here with us?" I shook my head then stopped when it dawned on me that they couldn't see me. "No. I don't think I could manage to leave the house."

"Alright. Be careful."

Then there was the recognizable click of the phone call being ended. I slammed the phone down on the receiver harshly before grabbing my hair and tugged harshly at it and screamed out in fury.

After a while of tugging my hair, I picked up the phone again and called the only person I could think of.

"What?" do you want?" a deep Russian voice of the man that I was familiar with since I was a child.

"Vladimir...I need your help." I whimpered.

"What is it my little French man?" I heard Vladimir's voice rumble in questioning.

I whine. "I need your help."

~Alfred's POV~

"Dude, can I get up now? Doing nothing is boring!" I complain as Mattie took my temperature. He looked at the thermometer and frowned. "I'm afraid not, Alfred. Your fever is still too high." I grubled and he gave me a sympathetic look. "I promise that when you get better, I will let you up without any complaint." I beamed then a voice rang out, "Uncle Alfred! You're awake!" The next thing I knew, Dan was in my arms. I hugged him close.

"Hey, little man. What, you think you could get rid of me that easily?" I joke and Mattie rolled his eyes.

"Only you, Alfred. Only you could make a joke at a time or thing like this." He grumbled quietly. I just smiled, knowing that he didn't mean anything by it and he rolled his eyes as he walked away.

Turning to Dan, who was still in my grip, I saw his lip quiver and I poked his nose. "Now, don't get upset on me, dude. I'm awake and jolly. Now what's this about you getting in trouble with the law; and don't think I forgot about that." Dan tore from my grip and rolled his eyes just like Mattie did.

"It wasn't my fault. It was Gilbert. He wanted to vandalize a building and asked me to keep watch. That's what made me innocent in all this because I wanted no part in it." He supplied. I laughed. "First offense right?! Reminds me of Mattie and I back when we were kids before aunt Amelia moved to Canada, taking him with her." I laughed again at the memory of us getting in trouble for the first time.

"Those were the good old days. Back then, your dad was more fun to hag around."

"Don't criticize me, Alfred. One of us had to grow up." Mattie called from the other room that he had scuttled off to. Dan looked at me with wide eyes, not even noticing that his dad had disappeared. I just gave him a toothy grin. "Don't worry, Dan. Your dad always did that when we were in high school."

"I heard that!" Mattie called out and next thing I knew, a rag was thrown at my face. I took it off and whined loudly and obnoxiously on purpose. "That was mean, Mattie. I just woke up. I'm still recovering here!" I shouted and waved my arms frantically.

"I know," Mattie responded from the other room. "It makes it all the more better to throw stuff at you."

I smirked playfully. "How do you know, Dan didn't just get in front of me?"

There was a pause, followed by a "Shut up, Alfred!" I let out a loud and obnoxious laugh that Dan followed along with only his was much quieter and softer. In other words, his laugh was more pleasant than mine.

I clapped my hand on his back joyfully. "Don't worry, Dan. You'll be like me in no time."

"God save us!"

~Feliciano's POV~

I hurried around the house cleaning while Romano just sat there on the stool and grumbled. I sighed sadly I wish he would just do something like make pasta. Mmmmmm...I could go for some pasta now. Maybe I should make some. That would be nice.

"Hey, IDIOT BROTHER! You're drooling-STUPID!" Romano shouted but I did not flinch away.

"Ve~ I was just thinking about pasta. Maybe we should have that today." I say happily and Romano gave me a look that was very unfriendly. "Idiot! We've had pasta for the past month! I'm sick of your disgusting food!" My twin brother grumbled and got up to head to the kitchen, making it clear he was going to cook.

"Ve~" I say sadly as I followed him into the kitchen and see him place a pot on the stove and began to boil the water as he took out a box and I brightened instantly.

"Romano, are you making pasta?"

"SHUT UP!"


	5. Chapter 5

~Ludwig's POV~

I placed a hand on my large stomach, grunting with each kick the baby made on my bladder, letting me know that it was very much alive. As I rubbed the large mound of flesh, another, cold hand covered mine and I looked up to see the smiling face of Ivan. He was in his usual coat, gloves, scarf, and boots.

"They are strong, da?" He asked and massaged my hand with his own. I nodded at him with a smile. "Yes." Another kick made me grunt again. "And very lively. They must get it from you." I hinted. His eyes widened as his face went read and he took his hand away to fiddle with his scarf.

"Ludwig, not in front of Gilbert." He whined. I turned to the spot where Gilbert was snuggled up close to me. I rubbed his head. "He's sound asleep. He won't hear."

Ivan shifted. "Still. I would feel better if you waited until we get home." I rolled my eyes. "Alright, Ivan. Whatever you say."

The Russian stopped his shifted to give me a relieved look. "Good. You're coming home today and when we get there, I'm going to punish you in a way that'll ensure that you will not do it again." With a wink from him, it was my turn to go red and I cried out at him as I hit him with my pillow, being careful not to shake Gilbert awake.

"Ivan! You just got on my case about that! Why would you do that?!" He laughed and with a kiss on my lips, he pulled the covers over me. "Sleep, Ludwig. You need all the rest you can get." Then he place a hand on my large stomach. "Especially since it's not just you."

I groaned. "I will try, Ivan but I am not making any promises." He gave me a struggled look. He's had that all day but I'm not sure why. I closed my eyes and tried to get comfortable as Ivan walked out the room door and closed it, making it shut quietly as he left. Gilbert made a soft squeak before wiggling and settling back down.

~Francis' POV~

Vladimir was much bigger than what I remembered. I couldn't help but wonder exactly how long it was since I had last seen him. He looked big even to the couch. I'm not talking about weight wise. Oh, no. This guy was not only tall, but he was muscular as well. The mussel is what made him look big. His violet eyes are what made him intimidating and I stopped myself from thinking about the same childish yet cold look in Ivan's violet eyes.

The men around him stood tall and at the ready but they didn't seem real since they moved very little.

"What is this I hear about your lover being stolen?" He asked, his deep voice was thick with childish playfulness but I was well aware of the darkness that lurked behind all that innocence. I struggled not to shake at my childhood rescuer.

"It was a few days ago. Ivan had called the police but they hadn't found any sign of him except for the signs of a struggle at the hospital." He opened his eyes yet the childish smile never left his face. "Oh, you have informed the police, da? This makes things difficult, my friend. They get in the way all too much. But it is not impossible. I shall need a description of him to further my search."

I gulped and ran to the book case where Arthur and I had kept an album and pulled a picture of him out of the heavy book before going back to Vladimir and handing him the picture. "This is Arthur Kirkland." I say as he takes the picture with care and examines it.

"Your lover, Arthur Kirkland. Is this man, British?" I nodded quickly. "Oui. He is. How did you know?" I questioned and he responded with a smile. "Oh, I have met his father. He was the only cop I respected on a certain level. Mainly because he had caught me once." He said and gave a innocent laugh. "But unfortunately, the man could not keep me because I broke out of jail that same day." I asked no more as he got up and went to the door with his guards following him.

"I shall search for him tomorrow. At that time, I should have everything prepared. Do not worry yourself, my friend. After all, it is not good for the little one." Then he and the body guards left, leaving me stunned on the spot on how he knew. After all, I was not showing.

~Arthur's POV~

I woke up, feeling my head aching very much like an elephant had come and stomped on it ten times. I was strapped down on a metal table in what looked to be a laboratory. The two men were in the corners of the room, grinning as a scientist typed away on the computer, tools at his side. My body shook and my heart rate went up at the sight of where I was. I should not be here. Where was I? Oh, God! What were they going to do to me!?

"You're awake? That is very good." I looked to see that the scientist had turned around to face me. I sucked in a lungful of air. "I was afraid that they had killed you. That would have been very bad. I do so like my subjects alive." He began to walk up to be and rubbed his hands together in a satisfying way.

"What are you going to do with me, you bloody wanker!" I spat out and found my head slapped to the side. Tears sprung into my eyes as pain shot through my cheek. The man was laughing as he took my face and looked me over.

"Yes, what a lovely specimen you will make." Then he walked to another large table with robotic machines on them. Some looked like legs, eyes, arms, and even weapons. I watched him lift up a mechanical eye that was completely red with a metal ring around it. He turned to me with a needle in the other hand.

"They said I was crazy. But I am not. I can make you into what people need. The blind will see. The deaf will hear. Those without spell shall savor the scents if my tests prove successful." Then he stepped up to me, now it was a needle and scalpel in his hands. I whimpered as he gave me a dark grin. "You were promised to me in the asylum. You were to be here after a few more years. But then you had to go and escape. You naughty rat." I screamed as he roughly inserted the thick needle in my arm.

He yanked it out just as rough and harsh as he had done before. I was now bleeding and a drowsy feeling came over me instantly. "Why?" I asked fearfully and weakly. He gave me a dark, possessed look. "Do not worry, my little rat. Just think of it as unwillingly helping mankind to evolve and advance."

As my eyes closed, I could hear laughter from the two men before them screaming out in pain as gun shot ran out and the scientist laugh manically.

~Kiku's POV~

Walking down the sidewalk with Yao beside me seemed very awkward as he was carrying a large Hello Kitty plushy tight in his arms. People around us were giving us strange looks and a couple girls giggled saying how cute it was for him to be carrying that. I could not stop myself from turning red at the fact of my friend being mistaken as a girl a couple times.

"Do you not even care about them?" I ask him as I try to hide my face behind my drawing pad. He just smiled and hugged the plushy closer. "There is nothing for me to worry about. I am myself and no one can change me. I like what I like. If they don't like it, that's too bad because this is me, aru." He answered and hopped a little.

"Oh, that would make such a wonderful sales piece!" he squealed and I resisted the urge to slap my hands over my ears from the sound. "What is, Yao-san?" I ask as I relaxed.

"As I said that, I got a wonderful thought on a self-confidence magazine." I sighed and gave him a bored look, making it look as polite as possible and less like I am annoyed with him. "Again? This is the third time this week you've gotten and idea for a magazine like that. I don't even think any exist." Yao then squealed in delight.

"Is that so? Kiku! We should start up a magazine production for self-confidence!" I sighed again and shook my head and walked faster, Yao keeping up behind me. "Think about it, Think of all the people who could regain their self-confidence just by reading one article. They'd buy more and tell their friends. Then sooner or later, no one would feel like a pile of-"

"I get it, Yao-san." I interrupt him. He pouted for a moment then brightened instantly and hugged his plushy as he followed by me and rambled on about his idea.

"Yo, dude! Kiku, Yao!" called a very recognizable voice. Yao squeaked. "Alfred! You are all better!" Alfred stepped up to us and both Yao and I stopped instantly. Beside Alfred was Matthew's son, Dan. Dan was holding to Alfred's leg tightly as he looked up at Yao and I with wide eyes. Alfred noticed this.

"Oh, Yes. Dan, this is Kiku and Yao. You met them when you were younger. Don't worry, they're very nice and even if they weren't, I'm here! The hero will keep you safe." He said and pointed at himself in a heroic kind of way. Dan just stared at him and gripped Alfred's leg tighter. Alfred sighed.

"Well, it was a try. Poor kid hasn't let me out of his sight since I got better. Sorry guys." Alfred apologized. I gave a small smile. "It is alright, Alfred-san. It is understandable. You are his family and it is all the more reason to want to know if you are well considering you were very sick." I answered and Yao gave a whine.

"What's wrong, Yao?" Alfred asked and the Chinese man crossed his arms, still with the large plushy in them. "If you had stayed sick, I could have given you a good deal on medicine." Alfred laughed and patted his back. "Of course, Yao. Of course."

"Ve~ Alfred? Is that you I hear?"

"BURGER BASTARD!"

"Oh, great. Feliciano and Romano are here." Alfred grumbled. I looked at him shocked. "I thought you liked them, Alfred-san." Alfred rolled his eyes. "Drop the 'san' Kiku and yes, I do enjoy Feliciano's company. It's Romano's that I don't like."

"Hey-FISH BASTARDS!" Romano screamed as the Italian twins got closer. Feliciano looked distressed. "Ve~Lovino, must you call everyone a bastard?"

"Fuck off-IDIOT BROTHER!" The darker haired twin screamed at the lighter haired one. "Don't be a dick, Lovi. Please." Feliciano begged.

"It's ROMANO, IDIOT!"

"Si, Alright, Lovi."

"I HATE YOU SO MUCH!"

"I know. I know. I love you too, big brother."

"SHUT UP!"

I have to say, that watching the twin Italians fight was the highlight of my day. Even if that sounded cruel.


	6. Chapter 6

~Kiku's POV~

"Feliciano, please come down, aru.." Yao begged the young Italian who was now screaming at the top of his lungs as he clung to the very top of a light post. All of us were at the bottom of it, trying to coax him down except for Alfred who laughed and Romano who just rolled rolled his eyes. Feliciano shook his head violently in a blunt 'no'.

"Please, Feli-san. Alfred didn't mean it." I called. Alfred rolled his eyes and took a bite of ice cream that he had gotten earlier. "Of course I did, dude. That's the whole point of freaking everybody out." he just had to put his few cents in didn't he?

I looked down at the ground shyly as I mutter "You're not helping, Alfred-san."

"Look," Yao broke in. "There is no such thing as a sewer monster that eats Italians. Alfred was just being an ass, aru!"

"Oy!" Alfred cried and pointed a spoon at Yao. "Children present!" Then he pointed the spoon at Dan who quietly sat there, drinking a milkshake.

~Feliciano's POV~

I shook my head again and screamed as I clung to the lamp post. They weren't going to get me down from here!...At least, not for a while since I was still convinced that such a monster existed.

But as Yao and Kiku tried to get me down, a sight caught my eye from across the street. It was Francis getting into a car with a scary, large man. The man had a strange resemblance to Ivan especially in the eyes. As I watched, my grip slackened which made me unintentionally slide down the lamp post slowly.

Kiku gripped my arm gently, breaking me from my thoughts. Relief was clear on the Japanese man's face. "Thank goodness. I am relieved. You should not believe everything Alfred-san says."

"Yeah, besides, that was some nice pole working, Feli. Are you hiring?"

"Alfred, aru! Remember, Dan!"

"Woops, sorry dude."

"I saw Francis." I interrupt and everyone turned their attention on me. This was strange news since Francis rarely left the house these days.

"So what? Who cares about that SNAIL BASTARD?!" Romano spat out and crossed his arms.

I pointed to where I had seen Francis with the strange man. "Ve~ He was getting in a car with this one man. He was really big and scary." I whimper when I thought about the scale between him and I. Kiku glanced over and squinted hie eyes in concentration. "That is strange." He says quietly. "I shall have to speak to Arthur about that." Alfred immediately froze when he heard that.

"So you don't know." He spoke quietly and with a frightening sense of seriousness. Kiku's lips got long and strained. "What do you mean by that, Alfred-san?" Kiku asked.

"Arthur went missing a while ago. The police have been searching for a long time, and there's a rumor that Francis has contacted a Russian mob but no one is sure."

All of us nearly fell to the ground in our shock. Yao fell back so he was leaning against the lamp post. Kiku's mouth was opening and closing as he struggled to find words. Romano looked shocked at first but he quickly covered it up with his usual angry face.

"Why were we not told?!" Kiku cried, sounding betrayed. Alfred looked apologetic as he tossed the empty cup in a nearby trash can. "I'm sorry, Kiku. I thought you guys would have heard by now. It's on the news and everything. Well, the part about Francis isn't but the part about Arthur is."

"How long ago was this on the news, aru?" Yao finally spoke up. Alfred scratched his head and Dan went back to clinging on his leg. "About two days ago. Honestly, I thought you would have heard."

"Ve~" I squeaked in fright. "Do they know who did it? Do you think Arthur's going to be okay?" I shook on my place. Alfred frowned. "No. They don't." Then he went over and placed a hand on my shoulder as he looked me hard in the eyes. "As for whether or not he's going to be okay, I pray to God he will be."

~Arthur's POV~

Opening my eyes, I could see clearly. Only my sight was tinted red. My body ached in an unknown pain and I felt empty, hollow on the inside. There was something missing. What was it? I remember a man with long blond hair and blue eyes. He was in a chair. He was crying and holding his stomach. O had comforted him. I knew him...

...Who was he?...

Who was I? Where was I? It is awfully cold in here.

"Oh, You are awake again." I sat up on the metal table and looked at the door. A funny looking man with crazy white hair and a lab coat came in. Anger and hate bubbled in me. But why? I did not know. So I kept my anger and hate in control.

"Again?" I rasped. He smiled gleefully and clapped his hands before doing a little dance. "Ah, my lovely little creation. You were awake before. Do you not remember? You were really hurt. I helped you. I made you better." Then he frowned. "You are incomplete but I shall finish you. Oh, yes." He smiled again. "You will be complete, my son. I shall finish you."

"Son?" I was his son? "Why was I hurt?" I ask. The funny man came over to me and brought me in a hug. "Oh, my poor son. You were hurt something horrible. I will make you better. Those nasty men will never hurt you again and no other shall either. Especially that nasty French man."

I frowned and tore myself from his hold. "Who is this 'French man'?" I ask. He snarled and balled his hands. "The nasty one. You're lover. He tried to hurt you. He got himself pregnant to hurt you, my sweet son. My sweet creation."

"You say 'he'. But he is male. How could he get pregnant?" I ask and look around. I could not register. He waved his hand dismissively. "Oh, what does it matter how? You're here and he can't hurt you now. Not when I finish you."

Then he turned and walked to the doorway and turned back with a grin. "You are hungry, yes? I shall make you dinner. It will be done soon. Yes. I take good care of my children." Then he was gone and the door closed with a lock.

Now that he was gone, I looked around the room I was in. There was a light on the ceiling, not that I needed the light. I could see perfectly, even in this dark light. A toilet and a sink were sitting in a corner and a shower in another. The walls surrounding the toilet, sink, and shower had been torn down as evidence of the pattern on the other walls and floor. There was a mirror above the sink and said sink had small hints of blood stains.

There was something about this room that nagged at the back of my head. I had been here before. I don't know when or how but I knew I was in here before. But it felt like so long ago. I got to my feet and walked over to the sink and looked in it. The blood stains. I felt like I knew what caused them. They weren't from me, that was for sure. Tear stained violet eyes shot through my head. The image of cleaning wounds inflicted on someone by their own hand and a broken utensil.

But the item that was used, I did not know. Did I? Looking up in the mirror I almost screamed. There were machines on my head around both of my eyes with red lens that sat over the top of my eyes that looked like they connected to me. My arms had metal bands and wires on them that wrapped around my torso and metal claws attached to my fingers.

Was I like this before? My thoughts said that I wasn't. Hate for the man I had seen earlier came back and in my uncontrollable rage, I punched the mirror, glass fell to the floor, surprisingly missing the visible flesh on my hand.

With each piece of glass that fell to the floor, a voice echoed in my mind. But I could not understand them. I could not recognize them. Who were they? Who was I?

~Gilbert's POV~

~Dream

This dream was very much like the other dreams I've been having. Mama was little and when I say little, he was a toddler. I was older, maybe around thirteen in the dream. A lady with brown hair had brought us to the park and it was full of other kids with their parents. Some were as old as me, some were older and some were younger.

"Hey, Gilbert. Why don't you take Ludwig to the sand box? I'm sure he'd love that." The brown haired lady suggested. I was holding mama in my arms as he cooed and gurgled. I smiled and looked back up to her. "Yeah, that's an awesome idea, Elizabeta!" I cried happily. She smiled back. "Of course," I continued. "Not as awesome as I am though!"

She rolled her eyes playfully and patted my back. "Go on, go play." I turned to mama in my arms and began to walk to the sandbox. "C'mon, West! Let's go have fun!" Mama laughed.

Plopping down in the sandbox with other kids around mama's age, I set mama between my legs and placed a plastic bucket and a toy shovel out and mama looked at it curiously before picking it up and went to put it in his mouth and I laughed.

"No, no, West." I laughed. "You don't eat it. You play in the sand with it. See?" Then I took his small hand with the shovel and dug little holes with it. Mama laughed. "And you use the bucket to make piles. See?" Then gently made him put sand in the bucket before quickly turning the full bucket over and plopped it down and raising it so show a bucket shaped pile

Mama poked it and laughed when a little fell off. I grinned. "I know, Awesome isn't it!" I cried. A mother nearby smiled at our interaction and turned her attention back to he child on the swing.

Suddenly, I heard mama crying and turned back to see that another toddle had knocked the sand pile over. Quickly, I picked mama and the toys up and hurried to the nearest thing I could think of, the swings. Some toddler swings were opened and I set the crying toddler in it and buckled him in and gave it a tiny push.

He stopped crying as soon as he began moving and looked around curiously and back at me. I gave a smile since he hadn't gone very far. "It's okay, West. You get to ride on a big boy swing. Isn't that fun? It won't be long and You'll be hanging with me, having all the fun in the world." I gave another tiny push and he laughed.

"Whee!" I cried and he laughed some more. "Isn't this fun, west? Just you and me, on a swing set. I promise, whenever I can, I'll take you on some bigger rides whenever you get to be around my age. I promise."

~End Dream

I woke up to the familiar beeping of mama's baby monitor and I looked up to see the grown up face of mama. He was sound asleep with a hand on his large stomach. Giving a smile, I cuddled closer to mama and reached up to mama's ear and whispered.

"I promise."


	7. Chapter 7

~Kiku's POV~

"Listen, aru. Before we do anything else, I need to pick up my daughter." Yao poked Alfred in the ribs, making him jump before heading down the sidewalk. The rest of us, not really having anything better to do, followed behind. As we followed, Yao would occasionally look back at us before making a face and huffing. I think we all were annoying him. It took an hour, but we stopped at an elementary school just as a bell rang, signaling that school was over. Children all around ran up to their parents that were nearby as others hurried to get on a bus.

"Baba! Baba, you're here!" A little Chinese girl in a red dress and black shoes ran up and hugged Yao as her pink backpack bounced. Yao smiled and scooped her up, causing her to laugh. "Everyone, this is my daughter, Yin."

"Yin?" Alfred cried and waved his arms, catching our attention instantly. "Yes, aru. Is there something wrong with that?" Yao asked offended. Yin just waved to Dan who hid behind Alfred's pants leg. Alfred sputtered. "Well of course there is! You just can't get money out of your head can you? You named your own daughter after Chinese currency!"

"Actually, Alfred-san. Yen is Japanese currency. I believe it's called a yuan in China." I corrected politely. He gave me a look and shook his head. "Besides!" Yao began. "Her name is spelled Y-I-N not Y-E-N! Stupid American, aru!"

"Hey, watch who you're calling a 'stupid American'. Remember what country you are currently in, dude." Alfred scowled but with the slight fat on his face, it looked more like a cute pout. Yao rolled his eyes.

"Ve~ I had a dog named Euro when I was little!" Feliciano cried out happily and clapped his hands. Alfred then pointed at him outraged. "Alright, you have absolutely no excuse!" The small Italian flinched and Romano smacked Alfred across the head. "Shut up-BURGER BASTARD!"

I rolled my eyes. This was going to be a long day.

"Ve~ Yao, what is Chinese currency anyway?" Feliciano asked. I sighed. Yes, it was INDEED going to be a long day.

~Ivan's POV~

"Please, Ivan! I really want it!"

"Ah, no, my love. You must beg for it."

"Ah, ah! Please! I really, REALLY need it!"

"Are you sure?"

"YES DAMN IT! GIVE IT TO ME!"

"I don't know-"

"DAMN IT, STOP TEASING ME YOU LOVEABLE BASTARD!"

"Loveable am I?"

"ARRGH!"

"Really, Ludwig! I am not even raising my voice. There is no need to yell."

"(pant) I can't help it! You're just standing there (pant, pant) and not giving me what I want! What I need!"

I sigh. After almost half an hour of holding the disgusting concoction that consisted of noodles and chocolate mixed together in a salty blend, over his head as Ludwig struggled to reach for it, I finally gave in. I lowered my arm and instantly, Ludwig snatched the bowl away and began to eat and stopped after the second bite and glared at me.

"You bastard! Not I don't want it!" He throws the food at me and I managed to dodge as he walks into the kitchen and begins to fry up some fish. I follow. "Now what are you making?" I couldn't help but ask.

"Eh, I want salted salmon now." I sighed relieved. At least this was normal. "With mayonnaise." I wince. Apparently, I spoke too soon.

He then glares at me. "I want that cleaned up from the living room by the time I'm done eating." I poke my pointer fingers together in thought. "But Ludwig, you're the one who made the mess." I try to reason. He turns to me and pulls up his shirt, exaggerating his stomach as he places both hands on his seven month belly. "You really expect me to bend down and clean up that? In this condition?! Ivan, are you MAD?!" I wince at the volume his voice went up to.

"Right. I'm sorry. I wasn't thinking. I shall go clean it up now."

"Right. You do that."

~Arthur's POV~

The man with long blond hair was haunting my thoughts. He was there from the time I go to bed and the time I go to sleep. The image of him crying, telling me about a baby and...I hugged him. Or at least, I think I did. Did I?

"My beautiful creation!" Rod, the man I saw when I woke up the first time, said. His lab coat swayed. "What is it, Rod?" I asked monotone. He smiled and pulled my arm so that I was standing in front of a window that showed the inside of a room. I had been allowed out of the room for a few hours each day. Looking inside, I gasp, a sound and feeling of which I was unused to consumed me.

The man who constantly stayed in my thoughts was in the center of the room, curled in a tight ball. A large man was chained to the back wall, unconscious with his head bleeding heavily and severely.

"Francis." The name jumped from my mouth before I could register. Was that his name? It must be because he looked up and saw me. He screamed when he saw me but after a while, she stopped and hesitantly crawled up to the glass and placed his hands on it.

"Arthur? You're here? What happened to you?" His voice was like honey. So familiar and sweet to the ears. But he called the wrong name. I was not Arthur...Was I?

"Poor, poor, stupid Frenchie! You're Arthur is dead. This is my son, Code-0123. Say hello to the stupid Frenchie." Rod cooed to me. Francis glanced back between Rod and I with a speed that made me think his neck would snap at any second.

His eyes were begging and watery. They made my heart hurt. Why did my heart hurt, seeing him here Like this? Why did it hurt seeing him in this place in general? I could feel protectiveness fill me. I could not know him. If I obeyed, Francis and this man would be spared...

….Wouldn't they?

"Hello, Stupid Frog." I say, purposely adding the last word too it. It felt so familiar to do so...Like a code...and a code is what it was.

His eyes grew and instantly, I could see understanding behind that mask of pain they held. Rod gave a cruel smirk. "Don't stay too long, my precious creation. You're going to kill them tomorrow. Wouldn't want them ruining your life."

I froze instantly and so did Francis. "Kill him?" I ask, struggling to keep my voice even and monotone. Rod nodded in glee. "Yes. Yes, you shall kill him. Your birthday present, remember?"

"Why?" I didn't even try to stop my question from getting out. He frowned. "He ruined your life. Remember? You were so excited about it when you first woke up. I told you then, of course but then again, you did fall back asleep." He smiled. "Silly me for forgetting." Then he turned and left, leaving me with both the big, unconscious man and Francis.

"Arthur?" Francis cried weakly in fear from in his prison. I place a clawed hand on the glass where his was like we had our palms touching. Arthur? Yes, now I remember. Not much though. I remember my name. I should not be here. I should not have these machines attached and hooked to me.

Lover, Francis was my lover. He was pregnant with my child. I place my forehead to the glass and he did the same. I felt the warmth of him coming though the glass. "I will get you three out." I spoke softly, remembering the child. "You all will get out of here." He smiled though I didn't see it.

"So will you, Arthur. So will you."

~Alfred's POV~

It had gotten dark now and I was back at Mattie's place with Dan. The boy was sound asleep in his room but both Mattie and I were awake on the couch after waking up in the middle of the night with blood shot eyes that ached.

"Ugh, I hate REM sleep, Mattie." I whined quietly so as to not wake up Dan. Matthew rolled his eyes. "I know, Alfred." He answered but of course, it was hard to hear him since he spoke so softly.

"I mean, seriously, dude! Stage five of sleep aka REM sleep, I should be dreaming!" I grumbled and crossed my arms. Mattie sighed.

"Alfred, REM stands for 'Rapid Eye Movement'. You're eyes are constantly moving and you're brain is more active. That is when you dream. You ALWAYS dream even if you don't feel like you did or can't remember." Mattie lectured with some useless information.

I slouched. "When did you become a psychologist, Mattie?" I grumbled sarcastically.

"When are you going back to your own house, Alfred." He shot back. I gaped at him for a while before snapping back to reality.

"As soon as Dan stops clinging to me like a monkey." I answer truthfully. I could see Matthew bite his lip. "You know he was very worried about you. You're his favorite uncle...Or as close to an uncle as you can be considering you are my cousin and not brother."

I laughed quietly and scratched the back of my head. "Yeah, what does that really make me, a first cousin to him?" Mattie shrugs. "Not a clue. Maybe."


	8. Chapter 8

~Arthur's POV~

It was morning, no doubt about that. The problem was, I wasn't waking up. The reason being, I had already been awake, thinking. Would not kill the French man nor would I allow him to die. I got up from the bed I lay on and it creaked in protest of the weight of the metal attached to me. Leaving the room, I went to down the hall where I knew Rod would be. The cold was wasted on me for I ignored it but my skin did not.

"Code, what is it my little creation?" Rod asked from his sleepy position on his desk. He must have fallen asleep while writing again. Striding closer, I swallowed saliva to keep myself calm. "I can not do it. I will not do it." I say bluntly.

Rod yawned and rubbed his eye. "Do what?" He asked, forgetting the task momentarily. I bit my lip. "I won't kill that man." The air seemed thick and cold the second I said that. I watched him freeze and lower his arm, deathly slow away from his mouth. His expression was cold, disappointed. "Oh, is that so? You know, my last child said the same thing to me...You have his eyes you know." I flinched momentarily.

Then he stood up. "Pray tell, why do you refuse to kill the man I set out to get for you?" I was stiff, my mind going blank with only one thought. "I want to be complete when I do it." There, I said it. Why I did, I had no clue. I didn't want to be complete nor did I want to kill Francis or that Russian.

I saw in Rod's eye, and odd sparkle or shine. The tense air vanished and he smiled in joy. "Well, why didn't you say so?! It's no wonder you were angry. If I had been you, I would want to kill my menace while looking my best as well." I wanted to cry in relief.

"How long will it take, father?" I ask, doing my best to play the part of a murderous son while trying to find out how much time I had. He brought a finger up in thought. "If I'm right, my lovely, brilliant creation, the pain in the ass will be around eight months pregnant." Then he hugged me. "I will complete you! I know how anxious you are to kill at your best. Be patient and it will all be over."

I grinned mentally. Oh yes, I will be patient but it will not be for you, you bastard.

Rated M scene!

~Ivan's POV~

Ludwig moaned in pleasure as I slowly pounded into him. Each time, he would cry out and wiggle which made it all the more enjoyable. Grabbing his legs, I threw them over my shoulders to gain more leverage. He cried out louder and moaned my name "Ivan..." Drool fell from the corner of his mouth.

"Tell me how much you like it." I ordered, my voice gone husky and slightly watery from my own saliva. He fought to look up at me with through pleasure filled eyes.

"J-ja." He answered, his voice too had gone husky. "M-more. Faster." He begged. I looked at his stomach all the while. "Are you -s-sure?" I asked and shuddered as his hands reached behind me. I felt him pull me down as far as he could to bite my ear and whisper.

"Go ahead. You will not hurt us." And so I did.

Scene over ya, whimps.

~Ludwig's POV (One month later)~

"Eight months." I mutter as I carry a basket full of Gilbert's old clothing I was placing in the storage. Ivan had gone to work since he finally was able to get one and Gilbert was at school. He'd be home in a few hours.

I groaned and walked down each step carefully. "Eight fucking months! I swear, this is the last child! Or the next child that Ivan will be able to produce if it happens again." So far, muttering seemed to be my new therapy.

Ignoring the same pain I felt when I woke up, I continued to slowly go down the stairs. With each step, it seemed like the pain got worse. It had been bearable earlier until now, I dropped the basked and fell to my knees as I grabbed the rail so hard and fast that my brain struggled to register what happened. Or at least, I didn't know what happened until I heard that splatter of water.

"Stupid!" I shouted and began to curse at my stupidity at not recognizing the signs of labor. Reaching into my pocket, I dialed the first number I could think of, hissing when the pain hit me again.

"This is the hero! What's your emergency!" Damn, Alfred.

"Alfred." I hiss through the pain again. "My water broke. There's no one to get me to the hospital." I cried, fear rising within me. "W-What?!" Alfred stutters nervously and quickly. I whimpered. "Ivan's at work and Gilbert is at school. I'm all alone!" I began to shake and let out a pained cry as the labor pains got worse.

"D-Don't worry, Ludwig!" Alfred tried to sooth in his panicked state. "I'll be there as soon-" The sound of metal falling and clattering onto the floor. "Um...Find the keys, uh, I'll be there soon!" Then there was a click as he ended the call and I looked at the phone as if it sprouted legs.

"Oh, joy." Was my sarcastic response. Good thing for me, I didn't have to wait long for him to get here.

OOO

"Okay, dude! Don't panic, breathe, breathe!"

"Alfred, you're the one panicking."

"I said BREATHE, DAMN YOU!"

"Don't shout at me!"

"Ow! Hey! What'd you hit me for!?"

"Keep your eyes on the road! I don't want the child to die because the government was stupid enough to let you behind the wheel!"

"Oh, sor-Hey! I'm not stupid!"

"OUCH! Alfred, it's getting worse! Help!"

"Oh, God! Do NOT have it in this car, this thing is brand new and I could barely afford it!"

"Do I look like I care?! I want this child out of me even if I have to give birth to it in this pile of garbage!"

"Oi! This thing is good on both millage and gas!"

"Ah! That one was closer!"

"Oh, shit!"

"Very! AH! No! Alfred, pick up the pace, How do women do it?!"

"Breathe, breathe!"

"You tell me to breathe one more time and you won't have any lungs to breathe with yourself!"

"*Gulp!*"

Sounds like fun right? An argument while in labor, guess who won in that argument? Now I find myself on a bed in the very same damn hospital for the third or fourth time in my life all the while being surrounded by machines, nurses, doctors, and Alfred who was mistaken as the other father. The last part I could laugh about to this day.

"Sir, you know if you hold his hand, it would help ease his pain." One nurse said to the frightened American who was quivering in the corner. He gulped and held both his hands in the air. "Yeah, and me a broken hand! I've seen those movies! You just want me to hold his hand so you'd leach money from me by patching it up!"

"Sir-"

"Fine!"

"Don't worry, broken hands pretty much never actually happen when women give birth." The same nurse comforted.

What Alfred failed to realize is that she said "Women" not "Men" and me being a man who trains until he drops, lets say that I hope Alfred has at least one bone left in his hand besides powder.

Now here I am, completely exhausted and feeling down right depressed. My new child in my arms looked up at me with violet eyes and hair the same color as Ivan's. She looked a lot like him actually. Feeding her a bottle, he little violet eyes looked me over and her small hands gripped the bottle. Ivan quickly burst into the room. Apparently he got the call from Alfred after the poor American got his hand put in a cast.

Ivan hurried over to me and kissed me tenderly on the lips. "I'm sorry I'm late. I had to hunt my boss down to tell him I had to leave early." He spoke breathlessly. I took a look at the clock on the wall. "Gilbert gets home soon." I say dully. Ivan released a breathe of air through his mouth. "I know. Alfred's going to pick him up."

Alfred? "Why not Arthur and Francis?" I saw Ivan stiffen and put on a struggled smile. "Do not worry about them right now, da? You just gave birth. No need to worry yourself." Seriously, twelve hours of labor and this is the answer I get?!

"Ivan." I said with a warning clear in my tone. He began to sweat as he picked up our daughter and began to walk backwards to the door. "You're tired, da? You get some rest. I will watch over..."He looked under her blanket. "Her. We will choose a name when you awaken." Then he hurried out, the door closing behind him.

"IVAN, YOU BASTARD!"


	9. Chapter 9

~Ivan's POV~

I had known that something wasn't right after the birth of little Ivana. Ludwig had been distant for days now as he just stared out into space on the hospital bed. I couldn't stop wondering what was wrong. I had asked him but all he said was that he was depressed.

"It's normal. It's due to the hormone imbalance after giving birth. The risks of depression increases with multiple births." Ludwig's doctor had told me when I asked. "The best thing to do is to wait it out. If he doesn't get back to normal in a week, then something is wrong."

Sitting on a chair besides the bed that Ludwig slept on, I fed Ivana her bottle. Ludwig had named her, not me so I have no idea where he got the name from. As she suckled on the bottle, her little hands reached up and one grabbed my pointer finger with a surprisingly strong grip.

I gave a little laugh and wiggled my finger. She gave a small smile and held on tighter. As she stared at me as she suckled on the bottle, I could see her eyes dart around to look all over my face. Very much like Gilbert did when he was this little.

"What are you looking at?" I ask softly before taking the bottle that was now half empty and put a burping pad on my shoulder and began to burp her. As she let out that monstrous noise called a burp, I fed her the rest and burped her again.

Now she lay in my arms, asleep this time. I could only smile.

"Ve~ She's loud. I heard that right out that door." Feliciano said quietly with that innocent look on his face that he was famous for. Gilbert came in behind the Italian and rushed over to me and hugged me which I responded with using my free arm.

"I wanna see!" He cried out. I hushed him as Ivana began to protest before quieting. I lowered her so he could see his new, little sister. "Wow, what's her name? Can I hold her?" He asked in a hurried rush. I sighed, realizing his voice wasn't going to lower until he got what he wished. "Here you go, Gilbert. Be careful. Yes, hold her like that. Her name's Ivana. Your mama gave her that name." I said and paused, realizing how I had phrased that. Silently, I thanked whoever that Alfred was here because he would have made so many 'yo' mama' jokes he was known for at the oddest of times.

Speaking of Alfred. "How was your ride with Alfred here?" I ask. Gilbert didn't answer because he was too engrossed into holding Ivana before it dawned on me how professional he looked. It was like he held a baby before.

"Ve~ Alfred was unable to pick him up and asked me to. I also had to pick up someone else."

I winced. "Don't tell me." I groan when I heard a bunch of glass and metal clashing outside before I heard "HEY, VODKA BASTARD!" I gave a sigh. Romano.

The angry Italian slammed the door open, causing both Ludwig and Ivana to wake up. Ludwig looked around in a confused daze and Ivana began to cry. "Romano!" Cried Feliciano who then began to cry himself. But what happened next astonished me.

Gilbert then began to hum as if he was in a trance and he bounced her up and down, like he was a parent. But that was impossible. He was ten!

"Hey, west. Not tear now. Big bro is here. I won't let anything hurt you. I'm too awesome for that to happen." Oddly enough, Ivana stopped crying and looked at the new person strangely. The room had gone quiet. I gaped at my son, the Italian brothers looked just as shocked as I was. But Ludwig, he looked so broken. He had a completely destroyed look.

Then Gilbert looked up confused. "Mama? What's wrong?" He asked with child innocence. Ludwig was breathing hard.

"Where did you hear that name? No one has said the word 'West' as a name since..." He stopped there and fought tears. "Mama?" Gilbert asked and began to shake. In an instant, I ushered the Italians to take our children out of here, which they complied and I walked with hesitance to my German lover.

"Ludwig?" I ask and he shot his head up and his eyes were full of sorrow and rage. "Where did he hear that?!" He roared. "He sounded and looked just like my brother just then! Only my brother called me West! That was MY nickname! Only Gilbert could call me that!" I took his shoulders gently as his hands turned to fists.

"I know love." I respond softly and I sat beside him, forcing my hand into one of his fists. "He was MY brother and that was MY nickname! Where did he hear it?!"

"I do not know love." I answer and kiss his head, leaving my lips on his temple. Salty tears ran down his face. I do not fight him. His hormones were out of whack at this point.

"I want him back. I want Gilbert back." He mumbled quietly. I move away slightly. "Gilbert? I can ask them to bring him back in here." Ludwig shook his head. "Not him. My brother. I want my brother back. I want bubby back."

I said nothing and held him as he broke down into tears.

~Alfred's POV~

"Don't worry, Mattie. I'll make sure Dan gets home before nine." I say to Matthew as I drove. Dan sat in the back seat. I adjusted the cell phone in my hand. "Yeah, I know. Dan and I are just going to the mall. No, no, I'll pick up some pretzel bits while we're there. Yes they are home made. No, you can watch the lady make them and they are fricken delicious." I was rambling

Finally managing to hang up, I looked at Dan through the mirror. I smiled when I saw him grinning out the window before turning my attention to the road.

The mall was huge, as all malls are. Dan stayed close to me (more like he clung to me). I pulled my glasses case out so I could replace my per scripted sunglasses with my original ones when I was bumped into and I dropped both my sunglasses and the case that had my others in it.

Getting to my knees, I began to feel around for them, not really caring that Dan was too frozen to get them for me.

"Oh, here. Let me get that for you." A voice of honey filled my ears and I looked up to see a fuzzy form of a hand holding out my case and sunglasses. I laughed and gently took them from the woman. "Haha, thanks! I need these."

Putting on my glasses and placing my sunglasses in the case before stuffing it in my pocket, I turned to see who gave them back to me. It was a very pretty woman with red hair and green eyes. But what caught my eyes was the fact she was in a wheel chair.

"Don't mention it." She waved her hand dismissively, ignoring my staring. Dan chose that moment to run back to me and clung to my leg. She saw him and gave a little laugh.

"Oh, is he yours?" She asked and I felt my cheeks pink and I scratched the back of my head nervously. "No. This is Dan, my nephew. I'm watching him while his dad's at work." Then I hold my hand out to her. "And my name's Alfred F. Jones and I'm the hero!" She giggles and shakes my hand.

"I'm Abby Frieder, the master of wheelchair telepathy. I can actually make this thing move." I know she was joking. I laughed and Dan did as well quietly. "No, way." I say. She gives a smirk.

"Want to bet? Watch." Then she rolled around me in circles quickly. "See." I laugh again.

"Now you're just messing with me." She nods. "Yup. That's my specialty. Hey, you're pretty fun to hang out with. Mind if I join you two? I need some company right now." I looked at Dan who seemed to shy away but he looked at her with big hopeful eyes and I turn back to her.

"Why not? Welcome to the team, Abby. I hope you can work well with me and my side-kick while we're fighting crime." Abby rolled her eyes with a smile on her face. "I'm pretty good at working well with others. Come one. I'll show you and Dan where all the best gaming places are. It's a hoot." I laugh and follow her, making sure that Dan stayed close.

~Kiku's POV~

Yao and I were walking to the hospital to visit Ludwig and Ivan to see their new baby. It was sad that neither of us had a license or a car. Yin sat atop her father's shoulders with him holding her ankles firmly but gently, making sure she didn't fall off.

"How long have you been expecting?" Yao asked out of the blue and I looked up at the Chinese man in shock. "H-How do you-"

"Please, Kiku. I'm not like Alfred. I've been observing you lately and you've gotten bigger and since there's no fat on any other place, it wasn't hard to figure out." I looked down in shame as we walked. How was I to explain the drunken night between Romano and I? There was no way.

"I-I..." I couldn't. I just couldn't. Yao turned to me and gave me a look of understanding. "It's alright, Aru. You can tell me when you are ready. I won't tell anyone." I wanted to cry in my joy but I am too respected to do that. Too dignified. I couldn't afford to let my emotions get in the way. After all, I do own a business now. "Thank you, my friend."


	10. Chapter 10

~Ivan's POV~

"Is mama okay?" Gilbert asked with little Ivana in his arms. I had just closed the door to Ludwig's room when he came from nowhere and scared the daylights out of me. Fiddling with my scarf like I used to during my time at the asylum, I try to hide behind it. My son looked at me with the red eyes of his dead uncle. I give into his look and take Ivana from his arms who, thankfully, didn't wake up.

I took his tiny hand and led him to the waiting room and I mentally cry out when I realize how empty it was when we stepped in. Ushering him to sit on a chair, he does so but I stood in front of him with the baby in my arms. "Ludwig is fine and asleep. But you did upset him. I'm not saying what happened was your fault and I'm not punishing you. I just want to know where you heard that name." Gilbert looked at his hands and wiggled.

"I...Papa, I got it from my dreams." The answer struck me. This I was not expecting. "Dreams?" He nods. "Ja. I have been having these strange dreams lately. They seem familiar. Like I experienced them." I bend down, putting my face close to the child's.

"How long have you been having these dreams? What was the last one?" I ask sternly and he looks at me with fear. "Don't be mad papa. It's only been a few months. At first, I just shook them off. But then they started to get more clear and more detailed."

I stared at him for a while, lost in thought. Then, making a 'hmmm' noise, I stood up and looked at Ivana. It doesn't take a genius to know that there was something wrong with Gilbert. I shook my head and planted a kiss on the top of my son's head which he proceeded to wipe off with a pout/scowl on his face.

~Alfred's POV~

I couldn't possibly describe how happy I was that Dan had warmed up to Abby as he sat on her lap as she rolled around in her wheel chair. We turned a corner and stopped. We had reached the food court and in the center of it all, there was a train track where kids rode on a small train. Looking at Dan, he was eying the ride wishfully. I smirked and crossed my arms. "Wanna ride the train, Dan?" He turned to me fearfully and got off of Abby's lap shaking.

He just stood there, not saying a word until finally Abby got our attention by waving her arms comically. "Come on, Dan. I think I want to go on a train ride myself. Want to come with me?" You could just see his eyes light up as he nodded.

Both Abby and I laughed and she turned to me and said "Don't worry. It's a four minute ride. We'll be right back." I nodded and as she took Dan to the beginning of the train ride, I went up to the nearest Pretzel Twister and got some pretzel bits for Me, Dan, and Abby. I hurried to a bench with my order and sat down just in time to see Abby and Dan on the train with a bunch of other kids who were laughing and screaming.

"Hey!" I called out and waved to them and they waved back. I turned to the opening and saw Abby's wheel chair sitting there by the gate that kept smaller children from running on the track. The funniest thing about the whole train incident was that she was the only adult on the ride.

Abby was right, the ride was over in four minutes and Dan soon ran up to me with the biggest smile on his face and Abby rolled behind him. I laughed and handed both Dan and Abby their snacks. "Ah, charmer I see. How'd you know I liked these?" She asked when she grabbed her cup of pretzel bits. I shrugged.

"I had a feeling you did." I respond coyly and she playfully smacked my arm.

~Kiku's POV~

"It just hit me that Ludwig and Ivan have a habit of ending up in the hospital a lot." I said mostly to myself as I sat beside Yao in the waiting room of the hospital. He was reading an advertisement magazine and Yin was on the floor, reading a children's book.

"It must be in their DNA, Aru." Yao said back and then his face broke out into a huge smile as he fought not to laugh. "Hey, Kiku, aru! Look what they spelled wrong! They have horrible translators if they don't realize they have a product named 'Ass' in Chinese, aru!" Then he began to laugh. I scowled at him.

"Your daughter is right there." I said. Yao shrugged. "She hears worse in school." was all he said. Yin looked up from her book as if she realized that we had been talking about her. "Baba, what does 'DNA' mean?" She asked in her small but cute, squeaky voice.

"DNA stands for 'Do Not Ask', aru." He answered, completely engrossed in what he was reading. I huffed and turned to the young girl "DNA is the genetic code for what makes you, you. It gives you your pretty brown hair or your chocolate eyes. Mine gives me my black hair and brown eyes." I tried to explain.

She gave me a look that told me that what I had just said to her went through one ear and out the other before she blinked and I could see that she understood. "Oh, okay!" She said happily then went back to her book. Yao looked up from his magazine to her with a frown on his face. "Yin, what do we say?"

She looked up blankly then said joyfully "Don't ask, don't tell." Yao chuckled. "Yes, but the other thing? When someone helps you."

She made an "oh" then turned to me, stood up and gave a small bow. "Thank you, Mr. Kiku." Then she plopped back down and read her book after looking at the approving look on Yao's face.

"Ah, she's sweet isn't she, Aru." Then he turned back to the magazine and laughed again. I gave a sad huff of air and wished Ludwig would wake up soon so that the doctors would let us see him. I missed visiting my German friend and Feliciano has already seen him earlier.

Yin then started to hum a little Chinese tune, no wonder whether or not Yao taught it to her. I pulled out a manga, trying to ignore all that was going on around me with Yao laughing and Yin singing. I just didn't feel like joining in.

~Francis' POV~

Vladimir was still chained to the wall. It often made me wonder if his arms had lost blood. I couldn't tell. "Why so sad, comrade? Oh, listen. I rhymed." Then he laughed that innocent laugh that both he and Ivan shared. But with his head caked in his own blood, he didn't look all innocent and childlike as he used to.

"You've been chained there for a long time." I found myself saying. Vlad laughed once again. "Do not worry yourself. It's only been a few days. If my arms lose circulation, I will just rip these chains off. They are quite rusted you see."

And see I did. As I got closer to him, I could see how rusted the chains were and that he'd have no trouble just simply breaking them.

"You must be cold, Da? Come and cuddle to me. I will keep you warm. Do not be afraid, I will not try anything." I shivered as he said that. Despite his deep voice, the innocence in it made me feel like a pedophile. But it was pretty cold and I'm sure that Arthur wouldn't mind after all. I do need to keep alive.

So I do in fact snuggle close to the large Russian. His heavy coat must be keeping him warm because I can feel heat coming off of it. As I warmed up and began to fall asleep, I hear him saying something in Russian. But I couldn't make it out. All I could hear was the chains clatter as he broke them with ease and feel his hand through my hair. Another few words were uttered but this time I could understand them.

As I fall into a deep sleep, I hear him say, "Ivan...My son." Then I black out.


	11. Chapter 11

~Arthur's POV~

It was all so easy. The motorized grip that was installed into my robotic hand was all I needed. And I enjoyed every moment of it as I wrapped my hand around Rob's frail neck. Watching him struggle filled me with joy at Francis and my tormentors death as his face turned blue and he struggled. Not once did I let up on my grip until he stopped moving all together.

I let his body fall to the ground with a sickening thump. I felt no remorse or guilt as I looked down at his body. Instead, I just turned and walked out with the key I took from the dead man and went directly to the cell that Francis was in with that Russian man.

They were huddled together because of how cold it was in there, the Frenchman's belly looking around to be four months along with his hand sitting on top of it. As I unlock the door, both of them look up and spot me. As one just stares, the other rushes to me and hugs me tightly, being careful of the metal. I pressed my face in Francis' blond hair and kissed the top of his head as he held onto me like a lifeline.

"Let's go home, love." I whisper. He says nothing as he clings to me tighter. The Russian finally gets up and comes over and inspects me. "Before you do anything, I'd best get that off you. After all, I am very good with machinery like this."

~Feliciano's POV~

"Ve~ Lovi, why must you be like that?" I ask my twin who was in the middle of shouting at Ivan who just gave him a creepy smile. Romano spun around to me. "Shut up!" he hollered. Odd how much Ludwig and Ivan's house echoed when one yelled.

Ludwig sat on the couch as Ivana began to cry from all the loud noise my brother was making. Ludwig hurried to calm her, Ivan glared at Romano for making her cry, and Gilbert just kept playing his video games as Kiku switched between the game and us.

"Aw, Don't be like that Lovi-"

"ROMANO, IDIOT!"

"Ve!~ I know what you need! Hug!" I cheered and opened my arms to my brother. He backed away frantically like I was diseased. "Get away from me!" I ignored him and pulled him into a hug and he struggled as he always did.

"DAMN IT, IDIOT BROTHER! I DON'T NEED ANY OF YOUR HUG THEAROPY!" I didn't let go even when he yelled. What we failed to realize was that while we were occupied, Ivana had stopped crying and began to laugh and clap when she saw the mean man being held.

~Matthew's POV~

There was a knock on the door and I knew instantly who it was. But why she was here, I wouldn't know. I opened the door to see my ex-wife standing there with her arms crossed and a scowl firmly on her face and the look immediately went to one that made it look like she smelled something bad.

"Matthew." She greeted coldly. I frowned. "Jessica." I respond with the same amount of coldness. She seemed shocked but only for a second as she composed herself. "Why are you here?" I snapped. The shocked look was back on her face but once again, it faded away.

"I am here to pick up Dan." was her answer. "It is my right to have him on the weekend." I saw red. "YOU HAVE NO DAMN RIGHT! NO RIGHT TO ANYTHING PERTAINING TO EITHER DAN OR ME!" I never yelled so loud in my entire life. She didn't even flinch.

"You don't need to yell and yes it is my right!" She placed a hand to her chest. "I know it's sudden but I'm ready to care for him again!" I pushed my way out of the house and closed the door, keeping Dan from hearing us.

"Oh, you're ready, are you?! Well too fucking bad! Where were you when he needed a diaper change?! Where were you when he had colic and wouldn't stop crying for days?! What about when he got sick or when he passed his first spelling bee?! I'll tell you where you were at! Off at a bar somewhere, getting your ass drunk because you found out that you're loving husband was in an asylum against his free will when there was clearly nothing wrong with him!" I took a deep breathe.

"And what did you do when Dan was five and ran up to you with a picture he had drown that he made to make you feel better during a hangover?! You tore it up and spat in his face!"

Jessica didn't even have the decency to look ashamed as she glared at me. "Matthew, I'm better now! I'm a new me! I've stopped drinking and I've changed my ways! I have as much right to be with him as you do! The court agreed with me!" I clenched my teeth and held my fists at my side. "They agreed that you had the right to be in the same room with him! Unlike you, Dan was placed in my care because unlike you, I actually love MY son and I was always there while you were off getting laid by the next guy!"

"Daddy?" I froze and my anger was replaced with false happiness. "What is it, Dan?"

"Baby!" Jessica cried and held her arms out to him. "Hello! Mommy missed you!" I wanted to punch her after hearing this. I knew she didn't miss him. He didn't even want him. "Come on, come to mommy!" Dan made no move to go over to her. Instead, he looked at me and I shook my head negatively.

"Go back inside, son. I will be there in a few minutes and I'll make your favorite." I saw his eyes sparkle. "With that special syrup and a strawberry that uncle Alfred gave us?" I nod. He smiled and ran back in. Jessica got back to full height and glared at me. If looks could kill.

"Why did you do that! The court said I had a right to my son!" I frowned and lowered both my head and voice to a dangerous level. "Jessica. When we were in court, Dan had begged you not to leave. That was so long ago. You had the choice to be a responsible parent or turn and walk away. Guess what you chose? Where I am concerned, you gave up your rights the day you skipped merrily out that door, leaving my son in my arms, crying for you not to go. I don't know why you are really here, bitch. But it's not for Dan's welfare. Now get off my property or I will call the cops. Or maybe you'd like another 'friendly' chat with Ivan and Alfred?" With that said, I went back in the house and closed the door in her stunned face.

"Daddy?" Dan's voice echoed from the kitchen as he ran to me and held on my leg. Even if he was ten, he acted younger for his age. His therapists are working with him on that. Giving my son a forced smile, I walked into the kitchen with him riding on my leg like a monkey.

"Please get off, Dan. So I can make you your pancakes." He let go with a cheer and hopped onto a kitchen chair, waiting excitedly for his pancakes.

"Yo, Mattie!" Alfred called and I heard the door close. Dan got off the chair and squealed as he ran to Alfred and hugged his leg. "Hey, squirt." Then he came into where I was cooking the same way I had; with Dan on the leg.

"I saw a red Ferrari outside. Was that the witch of the wicked west?" I sighed and nodded. Dan looked at Alfred with big eyes in wonderment. "Mama's the wicked witch of the west?" He gasped. Alfred rubbed the kids head. "Yup. And it'll rain and she'll go POOF like a ball of clouds." Dan laughed.

I smiled. Alfred knew how to cheer him up.

"Anyway, dude! You remember the girl I met with Dan? Abby." I nod. I could see his grin grow bigger if that was possible. "Her and I are going on a date tonight." Then he began bounced on his feet. "OhmygoshmanI'msonervousIdon'tknowwhattodo!" What?!

I smile, not really knowing what he just said. "That's nice, Alfred. I'm happy for you." He suddenly pouted. "Geeze, Mattie, you didn't even get what I just said did you?" I shook my head and bit my lip, trying not to laugh.

"No, not really, Alfred." He pouted and Dan laughed.

~Gilbert's POV~

School, yuck! I hate school! Dan wasn't here today but I met a kid named Yin. Apparently she's related to Yao and she liked everything I did! How cool was that?! She was almost as awesome as me, for a girl that is...

"Hey, Maige!" I called to another girl with pigtails on the playground. She glared at me with her chubby cheeks scowling. "What do YOU want Gilbird!?" She shouted back and the other girls she calls friends, laughed.

I smirked. Gilbird. I'll never admit it but I rather liked that name. The name was familiar to me and the name filled me with pride. My hands were cupped closed as I got closer to her and her group until I was in front of them. "Wanna see what I got?" I asked. She turned her head snobbishly. "No!" She spat.

Yin grinned evilly and turned Maige's head to me again. "Too bad!" I yelled and opened my hand to revealed a little green lizard that blinked at the sudden brightness of the sun. She screamed and ran off when I plopped it on her head. Her group screamed as well and ran off with her, no doubt to tell a teacher.

Yin and I shared a high five. "Classic!" Yin cried and wiped an imaginary tear from her eyes. I did the same and slapped one of my legs, something I picked up from Alfred when he got into a joyous laugh. "Yeah. It was worth getting in trouble for." I answer.

The next thing either of us knew, a teacher had come from behind us and gripped our shoulders. Her expression was hard and stern. Much like mama's was when he was angry and disappointed.

"Let's have a little walk to the principle's office shall we?"


	12. Chapter 12

~Ivan's POV~

Ivana's cries echoed through the house. I groaned and lifted my head from my soft pillow to look at the alarm clock. It read four in the morning and I groaned again. Right on time. Lazily, I laid my head back down to back to sleep, figuring that Ludwig will handle it again. Apparently Ludwig had other ideas because just as I was falling into a deep sleep, Ludwig slapped my head with his hand while still keeping his eyes closed and head on the pillow. I gave a startled snort at the sudden disruption of my sleep.

I sat up and stared at him with tired eyes. "What is it, Ludwig?" I whined and rubbed the sleep from my eyes with the bottom of my hands. "Go tend to her. It's your turn." His words were slurred from sleep. I gave another whine. "But why?"

The only answer I got from him was his soft snores. I sighed and threw the covers off me and got to my feet and headed to the nursery where Ivana lay, still crying. Through the dark room aside from her little nightlight, I plucked her gently from the crib.

"What is it, little one? What has upset you so?" I ask the small newborn, not expecting a response. I placed my finger to her small cheek and she began to turn to it. I gave a tired smile at her and took her to the kitchen where I prepared her a bottle and sat on a chair as I fed her. She drank the formula eagerly as I crossed my legs and fought to stay awake.

For once, my mind had been off of work which kept me up for most nights. As a guard for a jewelry store, it was rare that I got a break. After I was done with feeding and burping her, I went back to the nursery and placed her in as she slept soundly with a full belly.

Trudging back to Ludwig's and my room, I flopped on the bed, not even bothering to cover up as I fell into a deep sleep. Tomorrow night, I go back to work. I gave one last groan as I fall into a fitful sleep.

~Kiku's POV~

"Ok, dudes! I got word from Francis and Arthur. They're both home safely. Arthur told me that they had a bit of trouble with a couple bullies hand had been too busy to contact us." Alfred said and laughed. It was such a wonder that he was not asking questions that all of us who were in the room were currently doing. I had gotten a call from Francis last week but he seemed more secretive since he left with the Russian and Arthur had been 'kidnapped'. It was strange.

But then, Alfred seemed to have a look in his eye and his laugh was really off. But I was the only one to notice.

"Ve~ Wonderful! We should make something for them!" Feliciano cheered completely clueless from his place at the table. Romano stared at him angrily and Alfred clapped his hands. "Yeah, dude! We should, make them the worlds biggest cheeseburger!" Romano snorted.

"Filthy BURGER BASTARD! Arthur hate's fast food and the SNAIL BASTARD only eats fancy stuff!" We all ignored how Romano didn't refer to Arthur as 'Tea Bastard' like he usually does. Alfred glared with a pout at the older Italian twin.

"How about a cake?" I suggested but realized I was being ignored. Feliciano waved his hands. "I know! We should make them pasta! Everybody loves pasta!" Romano gagged. "Idiot brother! I'm burnt out of your so called pasta, therefore I hate it!" Feliciano gasped at his brother.

"How can you hate pasta?! You're my brother! You should love it!" he cried. Alfred then joined in. "Yeah, man! Everybody who's anybody loves pasta!" Romano just sneered. "Anybody who's anybody are assholes!" the Italian spat back.

"I'm not big on pasta. Is that so bad?" I ask but was once again ignored. "Oh, you would know wouldn't you, Lovi!?" Alfred yelled as he slammed his hands on the table. Romano began to turn red with anger. "It's ROMANO, BURGER BASTARD! And you'd love to know wouldn't you?!"

"Ve~ Romano, you're being a dick again."

"Fuck off!"

"Yo, dude! Language!"

"Fuck you, bastard! He's heard worse!"

"I'm not talking about Feli." Then the thing that shocked me was Alfred putting his hand and ear on my belly as he knelt down. "I'm talking about this little guy."

Neither Romano or Feliciano looked surprised or shocked. I on the other hand was frozen. "It doesn't have any ears ye-WHAT?! How'd you find out?!" I cried and shook and began to sweat. Alfred head left my stomach to look up at me.

"Dude, everybody knows! We can see the bump! Watching Ludwig grow with pregnancy two times gives us a clue on what to look for." I took a quick, unnoticed looked to Romano who seemed to not notice as he began to yell at his brother who just began to sing.

Alfred stood up. "The only thing is we don't know the other father. But I'm sure you'll tell us later." I gulped as he jogged happily to the brothers. "Come on! Let's make a cake!" He shouted with my idea.

OOO

It was chaos. If it wasn''t for the fact that all four of us were covered in flour, it was the fact that Feliciano dropped egg after egg for a compete two or three cartons and ended up going to buy more and drop half of that. I can only say that I was glad that for this recipe we only needed three.

"Alright, who wants to mix?" I say calmly and hold up an electric mixer. "Oh! Oh! Me! Me!" Feliciano begged and jumped around. I hesitated, thinking of all the things that could go wrong with him when it comes to mixing. Alfred snatched the mixer.

"Stand back and let the hero do it!" Then he laughed and placed it in the mix and turned it on. ALL OF US WERE COVERED WITH MIX! I will NEVER trust Alfred with a mixer ever again! As we all ran to hide from the mixer, Romano stormed to the machine, picked it up and began to mix the batter without making a bigger mess than what was already there.

I peaked out from behind a wall to see him. He may just be using a mixer but he looked like a professional as he used it before turning it off and taking out a rubber spoon and stirred it, getting leftover clumps out of the batter.

"Stupid burger bastard! Useless, Idiot brother!. Boring sushi bastard." I could hear him curse. Despite his words, they didn't hurt. He turned back to all three of us who were hiding behind random objects. "Well?!" He demanded. "Where is the stupid pan?!" We all rushed for the pan.

~Vladimir's POV~

My little French man and his lover allowed me to stay at their house for a while as a thanks on removing the metal from the Englishman. Currently, I stood in their living room and looked through the bookshelf and my eyes spotted a red book that stuck out. I grabbed it and opened it. An album. The first few pictures showed Arthur and Francis in random places, making faces and goofing off. But somewhere in the middle, I saw a picture of a Russian man with my violet eyes, standing beside an obviously pregnant German man as he held onto the back of the shirt of a ten year old boy who tried to get away to chase a dog that got bored and walked away.

"I see you found the album?" I didn't jump when I heard Arthur's voice. "Who is this man?" I ask and point to the fellow Russian. Arthur strode up beside me and looked at the picture and smiled. "Ah, that's Ivan. Beside him is his lover, Ludwig. The boy there is their son, Gilbert and their dog, Maggie."

"He looks like my little boy." I say in a hollowed voice, more to myself than to anything. His eyebrows shot up. "You have a little boy?" He asked. I smiled at the memory of the birth of my second child. The my first child I had was a girl.

"Yes. His name was also Ivan. He was the second out of my three kids. I had two daughters. One before him and one after him." I frown and look down. "I had been having trouble when Ivan and Natalia were just babies. I had gotten arrested and was placed in prison for eighteen years and my kids were placed in an orphanage. I don't know what happened to them." Arthur's brows knitted together.

"Odd. Ivan told me he was in an orphanage ever since he was a baby." I looked up. "Really?" I ask. Arthur nodded. "Yes. He also said he had two sisters. One older thank him and one younger. Shockingly enough, the younger one was named Natalia." Hope rose in me.

"THAT COULD BE THEM! Where are they?! Where are my children?!" I dropped the album and held onto Arthur's shoulders happily. But his expression fell which made me grow worried as my hope fell.

"Arthur?" He looked at me with remorse. "Ivan is the only one left. Both of his sisters died in a car crash. That was before we met in the Global Asylum."


	13. Chapter 13

~Alfred's POV~

Meeting Abby was one of the best things that happened to me since I had my first hamburger! Turns out, she was just as big of a gamer as I was. Playing Xbox live with her was fun. As we played an online shooting or whatever game that reminded me of Saints Row or Grand Theft Auto.

I made my guy get in a car and I saw her character get in the passenger seat. "Oi!" I cried into the head piece. "No hitch hiking, dude!" I playfully informed Abby. I heard her giggle through the headset.

"Too bad, Alfred." She said. I rolled my eyes and made my guy drive at top speed and onto a train track and before I realized it, I missed the curve of the track and the car go flying. Abby laughed and I began to sing a parody of "I believe I can Fly" song. It seemed like the car went in slow motion.

"I believe I can fly, I soared right through the sky! In this little dinky car, we didn't get very far! I believe I can soar, I went crashing through a glass door!" Abby laughed harder and sure enough, the car crashed into a shop door but the game didn't allow them to open.

Abby's character hopped out and a gun appeared in her hands and my guy hopped out too. "Quit it, Alfred!" She laughed and made her girl run around randomly but I smiled and kept on singing as my guy followed her. Next thing I knew, her girl turned around and shot my guy. He made a funny noise when he was shot.

"Hey!" I yelled with a laugh and shot her girl back. This continued back and forth until she killed my guy and taunted me. I just smiled and joked back. After all, it was just a game.

~Vladimir's POV~

I felt my heart stop at his words. My little girls...Dead? No. That can't be possible! I shook my head with gritted teeth. Arthur looked at me even more concerned now But he continued. "Ivan didn't go with them because he had a fight with Natalia and stayed home." Then he placed a hand on my shoulder. My mind felt like it was on fire.

"I want to see him." I say with my voice both hollow and quiet. Arthur dropped his hand and looked at me nervously. "I'm not sure you should see him right now. Give yourself a few days to calm down." Odd how people instantly know when I am upset. I do not know how.

"I said," The anger and needing was showing in my tone. I needed to see my remaining child. I just had to."I want to see him. And I want to see him now." He looked at me with a hard look. It was clear that he was thinking.

"Please." I can't believe I was saying or doing this but I am begging now. "I need to see him. I need to look at my son. To talk to him. I want to know him outside a picture..." Then I paused. The memory of the picture made me smile a little.

"Grandkids. I have grandchildren." This time, Arthur smiled at my amazement. "Yes. You're a grandfather." Then he sighed. "I'll give Ivan a call and see if it's alright with him." Then he left to room and Francis walked right in with a vacuum. My bodyguard in the back just stared out the window. If you looked at him, you'd think he was lost in his thoughts but I knew better. He was keeping an eye out for any enemy mobs.

~Ivan's POV~

The morning could have been better. That's what I tell myself as I help Gilbert look for his backpack as Maggie sat behind us and wondering around at times. Ludwig was in the kitchen with Ivana who was crying rather loudly and neither of us knew why. We had tried everything so we figured that we'd just let her cry.

"How on earth can you lose a neon yellow backpack, Gilbert?! That was brand new! If we can't find it in time for you to go to school, you're using your old red one." I ground as I got to my knees to look under his bed. It was a mess under there so I just pulled stuff out like shoes, socks, books, board games, pizza-ew!

I toss the pizza and quickly wiped my hand on the carpet to get rid of the grease. I was not thrilled but Gilbert was. He cheered out "So that's where I lost that!" I gave him a disgusted face and now wiped my hand on my pants. Why won't this stuff come off?!

"But red is so not awesome!" He whined and ruffled through his messy closet.

That's when Ludwig came in with Ivana who was still crying and red in the face. Poor Ludwig's hair was ruffled and strands were going from here and there. I can only assume that Ivana was pulling on his short hair. How she managed to reach it, I'll never know.

"Ivan, do we have anymore baby formula? It's Ivana's lunch time and I can't find any." He asked. I stood up to my feet, glad to be away from my son's bed. I shook my head. "No. I think we are out even though I could have sworn I bought a box yesterday."

Gilbert huffed. "Just ONE box, papa?" I sighed. "Unfortunately yes. That was all I could afford. I'm not getting paid the normal amount I should but I can't say anything about it because it's the only job I could get." Ludwig groaned and shifted Ivana in his arms. Her crying was giving me a headache.

"Nevermind. I'll go see if the lady next door has some she can spare since she has a son around Ivana's age." Then he left the room. "Dad! It's not here!" Gilbert cried from the closet. He only called me 'Dad' instead of 'papa' when he was really irritated or angry.

"Well, I guess you won't use it then." I say but that's when I felt a nudge and there was Maggie with Gilbert's neon yellow backpack in her mouth. Strange, she didn't have that before. I took it from her and gave her a treat from the shelf. We leave dog treats in random places because you never know when you might need to praise her. She is such a sweet dog.

As she wagged her tail and munched happily on the treat, Gilbert began to pack his school things into his bag and my phone rang. I pulled it from my pocket and looked at the color ID. Arthur. I answer it.

"Hello, Arthur. It is good to hear from you." I say.

"Yes, Good day, Ivan. Listen. I need to be blunt here. Francis' friend Vladimir, wants to see you for a bit. We think that he might be your father." He was hesitant. I nearly crush the phone in my shock.

"You-I-what?! Father? Arthur, what proof of this do you have? And how does he know of me?!" I cried.

"Ehhmm...He found the picture book and asked me. I know how shocked you are but we got to talking and he told me that he had three children. Two girls and one boy. The way he described your sisters was exactly how you described them when you finally told me. Ivan, he knew Natalia by name! He knew all three of you by name!"

"I..." I did not know what else to say. Gilbert was now looking at me with worry.

"I know, I know. But he wants to see you but I want you to be comfortable when doing so. Give it some time to think it over and call me back. And possibly, if you want, we can do a DNA test. Ivan, I am your friend and I'll be there with you."

I nodded, even though I knew he couldn't see. With the way Gilbert was looking at me, you'd think I was freaking him out. "Yes, thank you, Arthur." I said as calmly as I could but mu voice still shook.

"Everything will be alright, Ivan. Francis and I will be there with you. Remember. We survived worse." I mouthed a word that left a bitter taste in my mouth. "Global Asylum." When Arthur and I hung up, I felt so weak that I sat on Gilbert's bed with a heavy sigh.

Gilbert came over to me, worry on his face as he crawled into my lap and quickly yet gently, I held him close. My son made no noise or indication that he didn't like it5 or that I was hurting him so I kept on.

How was I supposed to take this, Sissy? Why couldn't you two have lived? I need you.


	14. Chapter 14

~Ivan's POV~

"Have you decided on if you're going to see this man?" Ludwig asked as he set a plate of food in front of me before feeding Ivana who guzzled on her bottle. I smiled at her as Ludwig rocked her. Gilbert on the other hand, was pouting in his seat after Ludwig scolded him about the lizard. Looking at the baby, I got to thinking about when Ludwig was pregnant. That was such a beautiful sight to me. Even if he just had a baby, I always did want a big family. Ludwig looked up from the baby at me and raised an eyebrow.

I shook my head to snap myself back to reality. "I have indeed made a decision but I will not call them right now. Maybe later." I frowned and my eyebrows fell angrily to my eyes. "I will meet this man but I made it clear that I would like a DNA test to prove it."

Ludwig gave a small smile. "Now that, that's cleared up, what are you staring at?" I smiled innocently and sat up straight. "I wonder what it would be like if we had another." Time seemed to freeze as Ludwig's face began to strain.

"I-Ivan. We just had Ivana. Let's wait a while. Besides, we can barley afford what we have now. Another baby wouldn't be a good idea right now." He tried to reason. I nodded at his reasoning. It was true that we were tight on money but we have a lot of space.

"Da, I know. But my boss has informed me that I am due a promotion tomorrow and would get a raise enough so we can save for some money for luxury expenses. We would be getting the money we need." I said and hid my face behind my scarf. Gilbert looked between us smugly as he ate his eggs and bacon. Ludwig's smile finally fell and a scowl came over his features.

"Ivan, I do not really want to carry another baby right now." His voice rose and he began to burp Ivana. I looked at him in disbelief. "What?! B-But-"

"I just got my body to the shape it used to be, or as close as I can since I just gave birth a few months ago! If you want another child then why don't you carry it yourself and I'll go to work!?" Then he got up angrily and the chair scraped against the floor. As he stormed out, Gilbert gave me a questioning look.

"Is that even possible?" He asked, fork up to his mouth as egg dropped from the silverware and landed on the plate. I gulped. "I do not know, son but I feel like I will later tonight." Then he made a disgusted face and I almost was sure he'd push his plate away. "Ew... I don't need to know that. In that case, can I stay at Dan's house?" I nod. "Of course. That might be best."

I'll never admit it to anyone that I had bottomed that night as well as every night that week.

~Arthur's POV~

"It's been a month, why hasn't he called back yet?!" Vlad growled as he stormed around the house in a circle. Francis sighed from the couch. "Relax. He did call. He was going to meet you in the summer. He has most of that season off because they're not that busy and his boss has many meetings to go to. It is only eight months away. Can you not wait that long?"

I growl as I watch the Russian pace. "I swear, your memory is terrible." He finally stopped pacing and gave me a hard look. "You don't understand. I left a message for him to call me as soon as he could. He has a male lover, yes? Then I must warn him about-Damn it! CALL!" He roared that the phone.

I arched an eyebrow and Francis looked at him with tired eyes as he rubbed his belly. "Warn Ivan what?" I ask. He looked at me but didn't say a word other than "Something that is very dangerous. If what I think will happen, does, he may die." Then he looked to Francis and it all clicked to my brain and I began to sweat.

But only for a moment. After all, Ludwig was the one who bottomed...Right?

~Alfred's POV~

Having the first date is always scary and I'm glad I got through it. But the second date is just as frightening. But heroes don't get scared! I mean, just because I'm sitting here, staring at the phone as my skin goes white, my heart rate rises and my palms are sweating for hours on end, doesn't mean I'm scared!

…...No! Fear is for the pansy's! I'm no pansy! I'm manly! A manly man! So why can't I pick up the damn phone!? It's not fear holding me back! I know it isn't! Maybe it was that burger I had last week. Or perhaps I was having bad gas.

Yes, GAS! It must be gas. It explains so much! I backed away from the phone. You know, a bad bout of gas is bad for the body. Maybe I should lay down and NOT call Abby today. NO! What am I saying?! I'm the hero! I'll not back down because of gas!

Quick as a flash and before I knew it, I was holding the phone and dialing Abby's number. As it rang, I paled again at the realization of what I was doing. Maybe if I'm lucky, she's not home. Maybe she won't answer.

"Hello?" She answered... I didn't move or say anything. I just stood there frozen.

"Hello? Alfred?"

"Ah...Ah...Hey, Abby." I laughed nervously. Who am I kidding? I'm terrified. What if she says no?

~Ivan's POV (Dream/memory)~ (A/N: Voice mail message I got was real. Pissed me off).

I was fifteen at the time I got the voice mail on my phone. "Moooooooooonnnnnnnnnnnnnnnsssssssssssttttttttttttttttttttttttaaaaaaaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrrrr!" It was the message that sounded an awful lot like a girl around fourteen. Quickly I hit the redial button with a smile and all I got was their voice mail as I looked them up on the computer. Maybe a taste of their own medicine would do that prankster good.

After the beep, I spoke in an happy tone"You know, comrade. I did not appreciate that message you sent me. Keep it up and one might find themselves missing some fingers. It happens again, I will make sure you find out how many, yes? Trust me, us Russians have some excellent communications if you get my meaning. You could ask the last guy but no one has found the body." Then with a click, I hung up.

Anger filled my body but the truth was...I could track them down. I was good at tracking. It had been so long since I wanted to kill a man.

"Big Brother?" Natalia asked quietly while holding onto the skirt part of her torn dress. My expression softened. "What is it, Natalia?" I ask softly and she ran to me and hugged me. "I had a nightmare, big brother! And Madam Bleesh is so mean!" I picked up my little sister and carried her to my bed where she laid down.

"Why don't you rest here for the night, yes? I will watch over you tonight, my dearest little sister." She smile happily and wiped tears from her eyes and fell asleep. I sighed and held the cross that I was left with when I was dropped off at the orphanage.

I looked at my little sister who made an attempt to fall asleep but it was hard to sleep on sharp, pokey, springy, mattress. But her exhaustion finally caused her to fall asleep. I watched her more closely.

"Yes, little sister. Big Brother will watch over you...

...I will always watch over you."

~End Dream/Memory~

I woke up to the pain in my ass and looked over to my side to see Ludwig sleeping soundly under the covers. I sighed in content. This mattress was a lot better than the orphanage I grew up in and with that, I am glad. I closed my eyes with a smile only for them to open a few seconds later by Ivana crying for her midnight meal.

I shook Ludwig awake in hopes he would tend to her. I could not stand up at the moment. "Hmm...I'm up." He yawned and sat up and smiled at me as he listened to Ivana's cries. "I know...I'll get her. For once, I'm not the one suffering the effects of after sex." My cheeks reddened at his words.

"Just get her." I grumble and he laughs before he quickly pecks me on the cheek. "Go back to sleep, love. I'll feed her." I made no argument as I lay back down and he hurries out the door, keeping quiet so not to wake up Gilbert who manages to sleep through the noise of the sound from the room across from his.

I close my eyes and snuggled into the pillow. I could get used to this.

…...I still won't admit I bottomed to anyone...

~Francis' POV~

"I still don't understand." I complain as I look between Arthur and Vlad. Arthur's eyes bored into me followed by Vlad's violet ones.

"I will let you figure the first one but the second problem is that I had completely forgotten about the MENT."

"Mint? Like a candy?" I ask. Vlad shook his head like he was talking to a crazy person. "MENT. It stands for Micro Enhanced Nero Transmitters. It's a tracking device that is placed into every patient of the Global Asylum. They place it onto the skull and it tracks where a person is using their brainwaves." He explained.

"It is very difficult to remove. I managed to get yours from the room while you sleep and I managed to get rid of Arthur's when I took the machinery off of him...But everyone else that had escaped still have theirs and I know for certain that there are still those who are after your leader."

Both Arthur and I gasped.

In unison, we shout "Ivan!"

~Narrator's POV~

Back in the room, Ivan turns to his side to revile the back of his neck right under his hairline that has a red dot from the tracking device under his skin.


	15. Chapter 15

~Gilbert's POV~

I rubbed my eyes as mama got up to take care of Ivana. Sitting up, I noticed how thirsty I was so I pulled the covers from me tiredly. I had to pass mama and papa's room to get to the kitchen. As I went by, I heard a noise and looked in just in time to see papa step out the window and onto the roof. "Papa?" I called dozily before reality hit me. There was no where to go on the roof but down which was suicidal.

Let's just say that it doesn't take a genious. "Mama!" I let out the most horrifying screech a ten year old boy could let out and soon enough, there was mama, holding Ivana. He looked terrified.

"What is it, Gilbert!?" He asked in a quick hurry. I wasted no time and pointed at the window. "Papa's going on the roof!" Mama shoved Ivana in my arms. "Watch your sister!" he ordered and went on the roof. I kept a close eye on the window and next thing I knew, was that my head was covered by a black bag and I was picked up with my sister yanked out of my arms.

Last I heard was her crying.

~Ludwig's POV~

It was hard to keep balance on the shingled roof that Ivan and I stood on. Where he seemed to be doing it with ease in nothing but gray pajama pants and his scarf, me in just boxers. I stayed close to the wall and gripped the panelings of the building to hang on to in case I fell. The wind out here was pretty strong.

"Ivan! Are you crazy!? Why did you come out here?!" I yelled to him. He didn't answer and stopped in place before turning to the edge of the roof. The eye that I saw caught my gaze and I clenched my jaw. Instead of it being purple like it should be, it was red and lifeless like he was in a daze.

"Ivan!" I yelled out to him again and this time he raised his arms out wide like he was going to dive off. I let go of the siding and ran to him but slipped and fell on the shingles hard enough to scrape my arms and legs pretty good as well as my chest.

"Fuck..." I groaned and rubbed my hand to my bloodied chest. Pulling in front of my face, there was not much blood but enough to need to be covered. "Ludwig?" My name came softly from Ivan's lips and I looked up to see him shake himself back to his senses and his eyes were violet once again.

He looked around curiously and turned back to me. "How did I get on the roof?" He asked. "I don't remember even getting out of bed." Then he spotted my hand and chest. "Ludwig." He cried and hurried to my like he had fleetness of foot.

Ivan then knelt in front of me and took my arms to help me up. "Are you alright? Why are you bleeding?" The worry in his voice seemed out of place every time I heard it. Not in the bad way though. I'm not used to it like I'm not used to Ivana being quiet.

Hang on...There was no crying. "-will you answer me already?!" Ivan had apparently been talking as he lifted me to my feet. "Shh!" I hushed and listened some more but there was no crying still. "It is quiet, Ludwig." Ivan spoke annoyed.

I was pale when I turned my attention back to him. "Exactly. Ivana was crying when I came for you!" That got his attention and he dragged me through the window before I knew what was happening. "Gilbert?!" He called out and ran out of the room. I heard his footsteps through the house as he frantically checked through all the rooms.

I went down the stairs and outside to check the yard and found nothing. I hurried back in and Ivan and I nearly collided. Both of us looked like we stepped into a horror movie and from the looks of it, we both felt that way.

"They are not in the house." He growled. I gulped and nodded. "They are not outside. And it is odd considering that both of them were in our room when I hopped out the window after you." Then I almost hit myself. All the rooms in the house were checked except our own. Ivan actually smacked his forehead in a very Alfred way.

"Of course! I will go check. You keep an eye out for anything down here.." He ordered and I found myself nodding.

~Feliciano's POV~

"Ve~ Lovi. I made a mess of the kitchen again." I whined to my big brother. He got up grumbling as he stormed into the kitchen as he cursed and insulted my intelligence. I just followed and smiled. My brother is so nice and so smart.

Just as I stepped foot in the kitchen, there was a sting in the back of my head that made me whimper and grab it before I suddenly found myself floating in a black abyss.

"Romano?!" I called out into the darkness. I didn't like it here. It was so cold...so...lonely.

"Lovi!" I tried again. Big brother will come! Big brother always comes. He will protect me...Why wasn't he here yet?!

I curled into a ball, calling for my brother. It was so cold and the pain in the back of my head was getting worse.

"F-Feli...?" There was a voice that sounded so weak. I uncurled and looked around, anxious to see the one who had called. And it didn't take me long to spot Alfred who was in the tightest ball I had ever seen him in.

"Feli? Dude, is that you?!" He spotted me. "ALFRED!" Security of another! I floated to him quickly and we hugged. I looked at he from my arms and I had to admit, this was the first time I had ever seen him so helpless. So scared.

"Man, I d-don't like it here! It's like the isolated room all over again! Make it go away!" I hugged my friend tighter. "Ve~ I don't like it either. But don't worry. I am here too. I will be here with you. You are not in the isolation room." I comforted and the American clung to me for dear life.

This feeling I had was strong. I knew it had a name. It started with a 'P'. Something I always had but never had to do...Protection...I felt so strong and protective for the first time in my life since Ivan came to the asylum. I had been protective of Ludwig then but knew I couldn't do anything harmful.

I don't like feeling this strong. It scared me. I frightened myself for feeling this just by holding a frightened Alfred.

Was this how my friend feels? How could Alfred handle it? So much stress came with it. Just how did he do it.

"Mommy, make the dark go away. Daddy promised that you wouldn't leave me. Why did you leave me at the asylum? I wasn't crazy mommy. Daddy doesn't think so. Why did you two leave me here?" I looked back at Alfred and nearly screamed. He was literally a five year old in my arms.

He looked at me with teary eyes. "Why did they leave me there, Mr.? Why didn't they want me? I can't help wanting to save people. Was that why they left me there?"

My mouth opened and closed in shock. In all truth, no one really knew why his parents had dropped him off and left him at the asylum. He'd been there ever since he was around the age that he was in my arms.

"Ve~..." I cooed and snuggled the now child. "They just didn't understand. They do not know how wonderful you are, Alfred." What else could I say to the child? Especially since he was a grown man when I last saw him seconds ago.

He wiped his nose on his much too large sleeve. "But WHY?! I mean, I used to run out into traffic to save kitties and puppies. But they were so helpless. And I know mommy and daddy told me not to run into traffic but...They were crying." He gasped for air.

"Mommy and daddy looked so upset. I didn't mean to pick that car up. It was just so light and the puppy was under it. The puppy wasn't hit but it was too scared to come out." I raised an eyebrow. So that was why. His parents were afraid of his strength that he had. I wasn't though. I had seen Alfred throw cars across the road when he got mad.

I lifted his head gently with a finger. "Ve~ Will you tell me what happened?" I ask. He bit his lip and nodded, trying to evade looking at me...Oh, I said a new word!

"Mommy had stopped hugging and kissing me. She had a strange smile on. It didn't feel real and daddy was gone most of the day. But then one day, they were so nice to me. Daddy said that he was taking me for a ride. He got me ice cream and we were having a great time when he drove to this big, building. It had other kids in it too. He said that this was my new school and I was going to start today." Anger rose in my gut.

Alfred began to tear up again. "He promised he would be back. He pinky promised. He said that he would be back for me. I waited and waited for so long and he never came back. I tried to call mommy or him but no one would answer. I felt so scared...But then...I met Iggy! He was mean at first but we became best friends!" There was that very familiar smile.

"He was there because he had friends that his mommy and daddy couldn't see like Green Mint Bunny. She was nice and cute and fluffy." I poked his nose.

"You could see them?" I asked, humoring him. He nodded excitedly. "Yeah! Until last week that is. Iggy could still see them though. I asked him and he said it was because my mind was changing in a way that his never would." Then baby Alfred began humming a childish tune. I hugged him tighter and looked around the void, trying to ignore the pain in my skull.

...Strange enough, it felt like I got slapped.


	16. Chapter 16

~Gilbert's POV~

I pounded on the cold metal door while holding my sister in my arms tightly. She had gone quiet with fever and was asleep. It was so cold in here and she had nothing but her little one piece pajamas that were thin. I had given her my shirt but she still had gotten sick and hungry since they didn't give her any formula. She whimpered as I banged on the door.

"Please!" I cried as tears stung my eyes. The room was cold and I had nothing on but my shorts. "Let us out! It's so cold! And We're hungry!" I attempted to beg the men who brought us here. I knew that there was a man behind the door, keeping guard but it seemed as if he was either deaf or ignoring us.

"Shut up in there!" He growled and I heard the shuffling of feet. "Please." I say again. "My sister is sick. Please help us! She's so little."

I heard a snarl. "Be glad that's all that's wrong with her. When the lab rats get here for their litter, the young will be put to the test too." I heard a harsh laugh and I arched an eyebrow. "Lab Rats?" I can't help but ask.

Another harsh laugh. "The ones you call parents. They have to return to their little cage eventually."

"W-What do you mean 'Return?'" I yelled and Ivana whimpered some more. I could hear the grin in his voice. "So they haven't told you? You fathers are old clients of this place. This use to be the Global Asylum before it was closed down all thanks to your parents and a bunch of other runaways. That blood on your toilet is from your father...The Russian one. Now shut up, I'm busy." Then there was a turn of a page from what sounded like a magazine.

I look to the toilet. I had noticed the stains but I hadn't known they were there because of papa. Papa and Mama were in the Asylum? They were the main reasons for it closing? What else was I not told about?! Who else was here?! Francis?! Alfred?!...Feliciano? Who all had escaped? I don't know why, but I had a strange feeling. Deep in my stomach, I somehow knew.

Practically everyone I knew must have been put here. It made sense. The looking over their shoulders when in an open space, the tendency to avoid medicine...All the distance issues they have. Even down to their 'quirks' it all made sense.

But why did they keep it from me?! No matter, I love all of them still. I looked down at my baby sister. This felt familiar, taking care of Ivana. I felt like I've done this before. But it seemed so long ago. Finally, Ivana began to cry and I knew how hungry she was. We had been here for hours and she hadn't been fed. I let her suck on my finger. It felt soft and warm...and oh, so very strange.

~Ivan's POV~

My mind was all jumbled as I tried to figure things out. Ludwig and I had gone to Francis and Arthur's house to get our chips out. It was a painful process but the man who claimed to be my father was very gentle with what he was doing. It was amazing how much he and I looked alike.

But my hair and nose was different. He has a smaller nose and dark brown hair while mine was an odd combination of Grey and light purple with a little white. I was pacing while Ludwig and the others were talking, trying to figure out how to fine Gilbert and Ivana. The only clue we had was a piece of paper with an odd sun symbol and an amulet that the intruder had dropped.

"Let me see that amulet again." Francis said and Ludwig placed it gently into the Frenchman's hand. Francis gasped once he got a good look on it. "This is the Star of David! And this chain is very...out of place. You know what this means?!" He cried.

Vladimir shrugged. "So the kidnapper's Jewish. So what? They probably lost or broke the original chain and got a new one." Francis scowled at the man. "This is chain from the asylum that's been painted over! I remember them from the neck piece of the straight jacket Ivan was put in to years ago."

I grabbed him by the shoulders suddenly. "So they are at the Asylum then, yes?!" I let him do and fought to pronounce a sentence as a nauseating feeling came from the pit of my stomach. Vladimir scratched his head confused.

"What does this have to do with the man being Jewish?" Francis growled angrily. "Look, forget about the Star of David! We're focusing on the chain here!"

"Well, you just told us that it's from the asylum, right? So why don't we go there?" Arthur asked as he strode over to his lover with his arms crossed. Francis huffed. "Because, it's been painted over with some kind of paint that is found in Japan! They don't even use this paint anymore! And that doesn't even make sense! It's like they're taunting us."

"I'm almost afraid to ask how you know this." Vladimir piped in quietly. "Kiku! He might know something about the paint! And his gift! If it's still working, we could-Oh! I feel so sick!" I groaned and hunched over with a hand to my mouth and an arm around my stomach. Ludwig came over to me and rubbed my shoulders.

"Maybe you should lay down. You're getting too worked up." I nod. I had gotten sick shortly before we left for here. Ludwig and I both think I might be pregnant but we have no evidence other than the sickness.

I walked over to the couch and laid down slowly, trying not to aggravate the sickness any further and had I looked at him, I would have seen Vladimir go pale.

"Alright, let's keep out wits about us. Ludwig and I will go to meet up with Kiku. Vladimir, you need to stay with Francis and Ivan to make sure nothing happens. Oh, and Francis, feed Maggie." Arthur ordered. Maggie wagged her tail happily at the sound of the words "Feed Maggie" for she was a smart dog and knew her name well. And the word "Feed" must have sounded great to her.

Francis huffed and handed Arthur the amulet and stormed off to the kitchen with the dog following him with a wagging tail. I just smile. Was that how Ludwig and I will be in the future?

"Maybe we should get the police involved." Ludwig suggested hesitantly. Arthur shook his head. "No, I've tried already. They are so swamped with reports of people missing all over that two kids are not going to make much of a difference."

"Not much of a difference?! They are my babies! THEY MATTER!" Ludwig shouted and began to advance on the Englishman who waved his hands in surrender. "Their words, not mine!" He cried quickly and Ludwig reluctantly cooled down but you could tell he was still pissed.

"Ah, I better get my men ready then, yes?" Vlad piped up happily this time and he sat on the couch by my feet and he pulled out a cell phone. "It will not take long. If anything they will make the search quicker."

Arthur bit his lip. "I'm not sure." He trailed off when Ludwig and I gave him pleading looks. "Well...They are family. Blood or not and many others are at risk so...Fine, make it quick." Vlad smiled happily and dialed before walking into another room and we could hear rapid Russian. I might have picked some of it up but my nausia was keeping my attention elsewhere.

~Feliciano's POV~

The darkness and baby Alfred was gone. Now I woke up in a desert. I had no clue how I got here. The only thing I could spot what looked like a road. Following it, I trekked down it until I came upon a sign that read:

Nuevo León

The wood was old and worn and torn. There were broken pieces chipped and snapped off. I scratched my head in my shock.

How in the world did I get from California, America to the Deserts of Mexico?! Well, turning a certain angle. If my geography was right, there was a small but poor town right in front of me sometime down that a ways.

I continued on while humming to myself. I didn't even stop to wonder how I unconsciously jumped the border while floating in the darkness. Hopefully, I will find one that spoke either English or Italian. Either one will do. Maybe they will have pasta? Not likely but it's the thought that kept me going.

Finally I stopped, but only for a moment. Seriously, how did I get here?


	17. Chapter 17

~Arthur's POV~

Kiku was fiddling with the chain, looking it over very carefully; examining each and every curve. "So, do you know anything about it?" I ask him, bringing his attention from the chain to me. "Well." He began.

"I am not all that familiar with the chain. I think it was used in the torture rooms that were kept secret back in the ages. And this paint was used for jewelry but they stopped manufacturing it when it was discovered that it drove people mad before they fell ill to the poison toxins it let off. This is fairly old so the toxins should have deteriorated." Then he flipped it over.

"So, is it safe to assume that whoever was wearing this chain had lost their mind?" Ludwig asked slowly as he was trying to register the facts given. Kiku bit his lip. "I am not sure. There is not much I can give you other than the small break in the chain. You must be careful with this. Even with the toxins subdued, should you break the paint and it gets in your system, you could become paralyzed or worse. I do not think I need to tell you what that implies. Burn it when you get the chance."

I scrambled to get a sandwich bag and placed the chain in it hesitantly and zipped it closed. "Thank you for your help Kiku. We appreciate this." I say and placed a hand on his shoulder for a second and began to walk off with Ludwig by my side. He pulled a napkin from his pocket and whipped his tongue.

"Blah! Talk about chains is giving me the taste of metal in my mouth." He grumbled and spat on the ground to try to rid that horrid taste from his mouth. "Ludwig-san!" We heard Kiku call and we turn to see him running at us with paper in his hand. When he reached us with gasping breathes, he handed Ludwig the paper.

"I had this vision shortly before you got here. There are two. I think one is stuck to the back of the other." Ludwig and I took a look at each other before looking at the paper. On the first one, Ivan was heavily Pregnant but instead of a healthy Russian, he looked pale and skin and bones like the baby was sucking the life out of him. I could see Ludwig's fists shake.

I took the papers and yanked the second one from the first. "Lets look at the other one." I say. The second one, Ivan was in a bed, his stomach deflated and flat in this one and he looked a lot better in this one than the other aside from the pale skin, oxygen tank, bandages around his stomach and him reaching out to the child the doctor was holding.

I felt the color in my body drain when I remembered Vladimir's warning. I turned sharply to Ludwig who watched me with weary eyes. "He's not is he? Ivan's not pregnant is he?!" Ludwig shrugged.

"He had gotten sick earlier but I'm not sure." I turned away and Kiku glanced from Ludwig and I with worry. "What's going on, Arthur?" Ludwig sounded worried now. I turned back to the German. No matter what I was going to say, this would be a sensitive subject. SO instead, I just smile at him.

"Nothing. Never mind. Don't worry about it. Listen, I'm going to head to the loo if that's alright with you, Kiku." The Japanese man nodded. When I got the answer, I turned and headed into the house, leaving a gaping German and a nervous Asian.

~Ludwig's POV~

I gaped at Arthur as he walked into the house before turning back to Kiku who found something behind me more interesting.

"What am I missing here?!" I demanded and crumpled the papers in my hands. Kiku shrugged. "I do not know. I only know what I draw." his eyes met mine briefly before darting back to what he was looking at before, confusion writing on his face.

I looked at him with a hard glance. "Kiku, what are you-"

"LUDWIG, LOOK OUT!" He managed to scream before a shot rang out and hit him between the eyes and another shot and a sting in my leg. Both of us fall to the ground, blood came from his injury and I felt as if a leech was sucking the energy from me and I was unconscious before I even hit the ground.

~Gilbert's POV~

I knew she was sick. It didn't take a genius. Especially since she was so quiet and still. The only indication of her even being alive was her breathing and the soft thump of her heart. I held her and rocked her as I sat on the springy bed. She'd let out small mews of hunger before falling back into her starvation induced coma. It had been days since mama last gave her a bottle. Who knows, it could have been weeks. I got food but there was nothing to feed her with.

"GET YOUR HANDS OFF ME BASTARDS!" That made me jump at the volume but I knew that voice. I knew it instantly. Even before the person was thrown in here, I knew who this was.

"Mama!" I cried and ran to him. He looked up in surprise before opening his arms and nearly crushing us in his embrace.

"Gilbert! Ivana! My babies!" Then he pulled away and cried in alarm when he saw the state Ivana was in. "She's so hungry, mama. There was nothing to feed her with." Instantly, he took her from my arms. "I wish I never would have had to do this. Fucking female hormones." I heard him mutter as he lifted his shirt.

"Gilbert, go see if you can find something or if you can get some rest. I'd rather you didn't watch." I didn't need to be told twice. I didn't want to watch either. So I jumped at the chance for sleep. I hadn't slept well since we got here. I was worried about my infant sister who was no older than a month or so. If she had died in the middle of the night, I didn't want to be asleep as she did so.

The bed was just as uncomfortable as I remembered it from the past few days and I closed my eyes and let my dreams come to me.

~Dream~

It was one of those dreams where I am me but not at the same time. There was a woman with hair as white as mine with red eyes. She was glaring at her huge stomach darkly and her eyes were full of hate. Me on the other hand, had my small hands on her stomach and feeling the baby kick in wonder.

"Mommy, why does it kick?" I asked her one time. She gave me a scary look. "Because it's an ungrateful brat." She said with scorn clear in her voice. But at the time, I was too absorbed into the unborn baby that will be my little brother or sister.

"How did it get in there anyway? Does it hurt?" my wonderment meant nothing to the woman who clearly had an extreme dislike for the baby who had yet to take their fist breath.

"You wouldn't understand and yes, it is a pain but it's not physically causing me pain." Then she got up and walked to her room to sleep. Mommy was so mean ever since she found out that I was going to be a big brother. I didn't understand why she hated it.

I never even knew the reason she just up and left both of us at the hospital. For years as I raised Ludwig, I never understood until I found out when I turned seventeen. She never even loved me. She hated West. The only one in the family that she liked was daddy but he had died.

I found mommy in a neighborhood that was known for drugs, alcohol, crime, disease, all that stuff. She wasn't as beautiful as she was back then. She found another man and was as happy as can be. I now knew why. She hated children. She always hated kids with a passion.

The only reason she had West and I was because it was what dad had wanted. He was a guy who wanted a large family and many kids running around. He loved children.

My visit was surly not welcomed and I made sure that me being there was not something that I wanted but rather something I needed! I needed to know. Unlike me, West grew up without a mother or a father. Just a big brother and two strange adults.

When I left, I had never been more protective of West than I had been that day.

Turns out, ten minutes after I left, mother's gang bang boyfriend had murdered her than shot himself when he went off in a drunken rage.

I felt no remorse...

~End Dream~

I had woken up and I turned to mama. Ivan was a little more lively now as he rocked her from his spot on the bed. He had been sitting at my feet.

"Is she going to be okay, mama?" I asked and he turned half his body with a look. "I don't know, Gilbert. She was really weak. And I only have enough time before my natural, male hormones take over and get rid of the ones that are temporarily in control. Eventually, I won't be able to feed her." The last part was mostly spoken to himself.

I crawled from the covers and crawl to him and hug mama close to me. "I love you mama. I love you so much. I'm glad you were there for me." His arm wrapped around me in a small hug. "You're welcome, son. I love you too. But where did all this come from?"

I shrug. "I just needed to tell you." He kissed the top of my head. "Don't worry, Gilbert. There are people looking for us right now. What matters is that I'm here and I will watch over you."

I nod, not really trusting myself to speak any more than what I had already.


	18. Chapter 18

~Ludwig's POV~

Ivana was sleeping sound against my chest as I sat on the bed. Gilbert was staring at the window that was up near the ceiling. I sighed and turned back to the baby who was happily sleeping when Gilbert suddenly blurted out, "Look, Mama! Snow!" I jerked my head up to the window to see small white flurried falling outside and some come in here.

"How is that, it's early in the fall. It's not that cold yet." I muse and watched as the wind blew some to me. As some landed on my pants leg, I was amazed that they didn't melt and they felt a tad warm. With my free hand, I pick one up as half of it crumbled off. I brought the other to my face and inspected it and took a sharp breath.

"This is not snow. This is ash! The building's on fire!" Gilbert paled and froze in place but his body began to shake. "Mama!" He cried and ran to me and clung on as I held onto him with my free arm. To prove me right, the smell of smoke began to fill the room.

"They wouldn't burn us, will they?" Gilbert asked and looked up at me with eyes that begged for reassurance. I stood up with my son still clinging to me. "No, I don't think this is their doing." I respond and I grab his shoulder gently. "Come, I'll see if I can find a way out." Then I placed the baby in his shaky arms. She gave a startled squawk at the sudden exchange.

I ran to the door and my first mistake was to grab the door. As the scorching heat from the fire on the other side touched the metal door, My hand was burnt the moment I had laid contact on it. Biting back curses and screaming, I bit my lip and drew blood as I held my burnt hand to my chest.

"Mama?" Gilbert's panic cry brought me back. I forced a smile through the pain as I looked at him. "It's alright, Gilbert. I just need to keep looking." I said.

"It's getting really hot mama. I feel like I'm in an oven." He complained as Ivana began to cry, not enjoying the heat one bit. I snarled to myself. Yes, the heat was escalating and as it got worse, our focus would be gone as the heat came rapidly.

"In a way, we are in an oven. This room is surrounded by metal aside from the floor. Everything else is basically metal. We're in a giant oven!" I snapped and began to look around, ignoring my son's panicked eyes. I looked back to the window. The bars were wide enough for Gilbert to squeaze through if he really tried and Ivana, if she was old enough, could have easily crawled through them. Some might say that I was crazy at this time. Strength burst from me that I never had as I ripped the bed from the floor, it's bolts flying as I drug it to the window, picked up Gilbert and lifted him up.

He watched me confused as he turned his head to look at me. "Don't ask. You and Ivana need to get help! Squeeze through the bars, get away from here." You could see hesitance in his eyes behind all the fear and confusion.

"But, mama-"

"GILBERT, GET YOUR ASS TO SAFTY AND TAKE YOUR SISTER!" He shut up instantly and let me shove both of them through the bars. As he now stood outside with his sister in hand he looked back at me.

I smiled at him reassuringly, something I didn't feel at the moment. "Go get help. I'll be fine." I lied. "I love you both." Hie said a quick "I love you too." Before running the opposite direction I was. When I was sure he was gone, I lost my smile and slumped against the hot wall. If I was to die, I go willingly and in peace at knowing that my kids got out safely. If they're lucky, they'll be able to find Ivan.

~Arthur's POV (Past: Ludwig's Abduction)~

I had heard the shot and I hurried out of Kiku's house, ignoring the fact that I was only in my shirt and knickers. I had left my trousers in the restroom. Running with a full bladder is not what I call a pleasant experience. Kiku was on the ground with red coming from his head and a little was on the back of his head.

I knelt down beside the Asian and checked for a pulse and sighed with relief as it was there and strong. His eyes opened the second I sighed and he looked at me in confusion. "I am not dead, Arthur-san?" I shook my head.

"No. You're alive. Thank God for that at least." That's when the situation grew grim. "Kiku, Ludwig's gone!" Yes, I had noticed it earlier but I had to let him know because he looked like his brain was rattled and scattered at the moment.

"Ah," He groaned and sat up with his fingers pinching the bridge of his nose. "You had gone in. I-I told Ludwig-san some of my visions. That's when I was...Shot?" He put a finger to his "Bullet wound", wiped some of the "blood" off and licked it.

"Nani? This is strawberry jam. But it had hurt when it hit me. It even managed to push me down. How can this be?" I shook my head. There was no way I had any clue-huh? The sun was reflecting off of two transparent capsules I picked them up and examined it. "A BB gun I'm guessing. Those suckers have enough power to inflict a sting but not enough to break the skin. Be glad it didn't get your eye, you would have been blinded."

Kiku arched an eyebrow. "A BB gun? With all this jam?" I nod. "Yes. Brilliant I have to say. And it's amazing to pack that much into a tiny capsule no bigger than a bead." Then I stop. "The question is, why did they go to such lengths just to keep you alive?"

"He's valuble." Vladimir suddenly piped up from behind us, making us jump. We both got to our feet and watch him smile at us with that childish look. "I'm valuable?"

Vlad nodded. "Da, you see, this is very simple when you really think about it. The reason they did not kill you is because you are a treasure they would pick up later. And the reason they shot you was to make Ludwig think you have died to break him. He's bait for something or rather, someone."

"But if they were going to kidnap Kiku as well, why not take him while he was down and me as well?" I ask, not being able to avoid the thought that I wasn't important enough to be kidnapped. God, I feel like Alfred right now.

Kiku made a noise of recognition as he slapped a fist into his hand. "It would arouse suspicion. If they had taken me, they knew you were coming out and they also knew that Vladimir-san was nearby. If all of us, Including Ludwig, had vanished, it would have aroused suspicion and the authorities would have all their attention on them." He deducted and nodded, looking very proud of himself...or as much as he would allow anyway.

Vladimir nodded again. "Da. You are very quick, comrade." I cleared my throat, making them look at me. "The problem is, who is "them" and are they the ones who took Gilbert and Ivana? That part makes no sense." Vlad gave me that all knowing yet innocent smile of his.

"I'm sure it will become more clear when we got more clues. For now, I think we had enough excitement. Let us retire and figure out where to go from here."

I gaped at the Russian. "Bu-But, Ludwig-"

"Will not be put in immediate danger. I know how these people work. I've dealt with them before. Ludwig and the children are being held as bait, Da?" Kiku and I nodded. "And there will be an attempt on Kiku later as well as the others. But who is the main person they are trying to get? Who was it that got all of you your freedom?"

That didn't take long.

"Ivan? Why do they want Ivan for?! He's done nothing wrong!" I cried. Vlad just smiled with that innocent smile of his. "You are forgetting, the place you were at were testing drugs on you people and Ivan is the one who took all the little lab rats away. What better to take the alpha rat than his mate an offspring. Even rats can be territorial."

I threw my hands in the air and look at him in outrage. "I don't know what disturbs me more, the fact that you could figure all that out or the fact that you called your own son and our friends, rats."

He finally opened his eyes but kept his smile.

"That is from their minds. To keep from bonding to the subjects, one does not associate them as human beings. It's bad enough that they acknowledge the rat's gender."

I glared at him. "Will you quit calling them rats, you'd just be as bad as them if you don't." Vlad lost his smile as if he was pondering before that irritating smile came back. "Da. I will. I love my only child and his family. Even if I have yet to meet the other two...three I guess because one is not born yet. Come, let us retire. The worst that can happen to Ludwig is beatings or the possibility of rape."

"Damn it you arse! That's not helping my nerves any!"

"Arthur-san, please calm down. What are we going to tell Ivan?"

I hadn't thought of that. Oh man, he's going to kill me.


	19. Chapter 19

~Ivan's POV (Present)~

I rub my flat stomach with a content sigh as I look at the sky from the park I was at. Breathing in the morning air, I was thankful that no one was out yet. The sun hadn't even risen but it was about to. I frowned at the memory of the morning's sun. When Gilbert was a baby, Ludwig and I would watch the sun rise and set. I used to just sit there and stare at him until he caught me and would give me a shy smile.

I growled in my hate and anger at those who took my lover and kids. They dare take what was so precious. With new found determination, I stood up and pulled on my scarf. I was going to find them even if it kills both me and my unborn child. I was not going to let my family be tortured like Ludwig and the rest of us did in the Asylum...Asylum...That would be a great place to start looking. After all, I felt greatly compelled to go there for the past few days.

The sun came up a little and that's when I spotted a large cloud of smoke rising into the sky. That was a sign that there was a building being completely consumed by fire.

"PAPA!" The cry that I recognized cried out and I looked further down to spot my albino son running at me as fast as his legs could carry him with his baby sister in his arms, crying her eyes out. My heart sped up at the sight of my lost children and the energy I had lost when they had been taken had filled my body as I ran to them and in a big scoop, I lifted them in my arms and kissed their heads, minding little Ivana as she held my coat with her tiny hands.

Gilbert clung to me as tightly as he could as he cried. I never set them down. I just couldn't. It would have been asking too much of me right now. My children were back and safe. Now all we had to do was rescue Ludwig. "Papa!" Gilbert sobbed as if he hadn't seen me in years. He tore his face from my chest and glanced at me with tear stained and blood shot eyes.

"Papa, they have mama! He's burning! The building's on fire!" I set him down quickly but carefully and got to his level. "What?! Is the building in the direction you just came from?!" He nodded. "Yes. Papa! It was so hot! Mama managed to squeeze us through some bars! Papa, Mama's burning! It's like an oven in the cell right now!"

I grabbed his shoulders. "Gilbert, listen to me. This is important. What building is it?"

"T-The old Asylum! We-we were going to be bait for you." He held the baby to him tight. I nodded. It figures. Some of the people there never did get imprisoned for some reason. They wouldn't stop. "Gilbert, I need you to go get Arthur. Do you remember where his house is?" Gilbert nodded. "Good. I'm going for Ludwig. You and Ivana are to stay with Francis. He will keep you safe." Gilbert bit his lip.

"Go, you can do it. We'll be back before you know it." Gilbert nodded again but he didn't want me to go. His eyes said that clearly.

"Go!" I urged and he ran with a flash with a cry, I swore I heard Ludwig's brother use my sons mouth when saying "Keep West safe or I'll kill you, commie!" I shook it off as my imagination. I stood back up and took one long look, making sure I was heading the right direction, I ran. I had never ran so fast in my life but I wasn't going to stop this time.

"Not for anything." I mutter in my determination.

~Arthur's POV~

Seeing Gilbert and Ivana back nearly unscathed was the best thing I could imagine right now. But the news he carried with his is the thing that pissed me off.

(Flashback)

I rubbed Francis' large stomach in worry. Matthew had been calling early in his panic and so did Romano...in his own way. Both Feliciano and Alfred had vanished only Feliciano had been found in Spain and Antonio went to pick him up. But there was no news on the annoying American and it worried me. So many of my friends were missing and two were children of sorts.

Rapid knocking made both Francis and I jump. He paused and looked at me with a smile. "Go get that, Arthur. I will be alright for a few moments." he joked. I rolled my eyes and went to answer the door. The person at the door was not who I expected. Gilbert was here with little Ivana. Before I could get a word out, he blurted out desperately "Papa went after Mama!"

(End Flashback)

"Are you sure that's where he went?!" I ask Gilbert. He nodded. He didn't seem to speak much since he had arrived. "That git! The bastard rushed off! He shouldn't be doing that, he's in early stages of his pregnancy! I need to go after him!"

"I will go with you." Vlad said from his spot in the room. Both Gilbert and him had been introduced earlier but we all knew that now was not a time for introductions. "My men have been vanishing when I assigned them to watch the place two years after you all escaped. I will call for a car. No arguments, da?"

"No, I need all the people I can use." I responded and placed Ivana in Francis' arms and he cooed at the baby who began to calm down. Vlad took out his phone and went to call but after a few seconds, he lowered it and cursed in Russian.

I raised an eyebrow. "What's wrong?" I ask. He spat at his phone and threw it on the coffee table. "The phone is dead. I can not get a car." He growled. I shook my head. "No time. I'm going to see if I can get that stubborn old Ford up and running. If I can, we'll be on our way."

I grabbed the car keys and ran out the door hearing Vlad shout behind me. "Best hurry, Da? At this time, Ivan might already be there and in trouble."

~Ivan's POV~

I managed to get to the burning building. I stopped to catch my breath and was thankful for no one being out just yet. Taking deep breaths, I saw fire and smoke poking from the windows and any other open area the flames could find. I looked for an opening in the building that had no flames and spotted it. It was a barred window that the metal bars rusted off. The fire hadn't reached that part yet. I look around some more to spot a way to keep myself from being burnt. Even if it was only temporary.

Nearby, a hose lay on the ground. I used it to douse myself with cold, icy water and ran to the window and climbed in. I didn't have a clue where in the building Ludwig was but I couldn't wait for the fire men to get here. My lover might be dead by then. Lucky for me, the smoke in the area was thin for right now and I put my scarf around my mouth and nose to help keep me from inhaling the smoke.

The hallways were hot and wide just as I remembered. Wires from the lights above stuck out and hung from the dead electronics. There were dead men on the ground, no doubt died from too much smoke inhalation.

Each hallway I took brought more smoke and made me all the more angry I became. Hallway after hallway I went through, looking in each room and calling Ludwig's name. It wasn't until I heard a groan did I find the room that Ludwig was in but the floor on one side of the door was covered in fire. It would reach him soon. The water on my was evaporating quickly which was how fast I had to work or I'd be covered in the flames that licked at me for it's new target.

I placed the palms of my hands on the metal door. It was hot beneath my gloves. So hot, I saw steam coming from my wet gloves as they touched the metal. I pushed and heard it creak. "Ludwig!" I cried and was replied with a groan from him. My lover was boiling to death in there! Using my shoulder, I began to slam into the door. Over and over I hit it but all I got out of that was a sore shoulder.

It would take two strong men to get this thing open. I began to look around frantically. There were wooden planks that had fallen from the ceiling and walls from the building that lay about in piles. Wheelchairs were flipped to the sides, broken and twisted. Paper on the floor was feeding the fire more with each second.

Speaking of paper, the sound of it crumpling caught my attention and I turned to see Alfred standing there with a metal pipe in his hand, water dripped from the top hook part of it like he just randomly pulled it from a sink. His eyes had turned an evil red rather than a shiny blue they always were.

"Alfred! How did you get in here?" I cried surprised. But another groan from Ludwig touched my ears and I turned my back on the American. "Never mind. You're here anyway. Come one, we must get Ludwig out of there. He's dying!"

I began to push on the door, expecting him to help me when I felt the pipe land hard on my shoulder and I staggered away from both Alfred and the metal door as I held my injured shoulder and I turned back to Alfred in betrayal.

"What are you doing, Alfred?! Are you crazy!?" I cried out. Alfred said nothing. Not even his expression changed. It was like he wasn't in control of his body with his fluid movements that reminded me of a puppet. Then my mind went to what Arthur and Vlad had told me.

My eyes widened. That's right, Alfred has that chip in his spine! He's a puppet right now! With that thought, Alfred then charged at me. I tried to run to my side but the pipe hit the back of my head and I went falling into a nearby broken wheelchair. My head hit the arm rest and I saw stars as I turned to lay on my back just in time to see Alfred running to me with the pipe in hand, ready to strike again. The pain in my skull and the heavy smoke addled my mind but I was able to roll away for the pipe to hit the arm rest that my head had hit earlier.

He looked around for me as I managed to crawl behind him. But I was not quick enough as he turned around and stomped on my leg hard and I heard the crack before I felt the pain. I cried out in the pain. Alfred had just broken my leg! And with a single stomp! How can a man who all he does is play video games, be strong enough to break my leg with a single stomp!?

I groaned and began to curl when Alfred rose his weapon in the air. There was a pile of lumber near me and I grabbed a long, strong looking plank and swung. It hit Alfred on the side of his neck and he went flying and hit the wall and onto a torn and burnt couch before tumbling to the floor unconscious.

The victory was bitter to me as I saw my friend out cold on the floor. One of the scientists must still be alive if Alfred is being controlled. I turned back to the door, blood now was pouring from my head and my vision was clouded. My scarf had fallen from my nose and mouth and now, I was breathing smoke without any filter.

The fire was closer to the door and I wasted no time to crawl there, dragging my broken leg with me through the pain. The smoke burned my lungs and my chest began to hurt. Reaching the door, I turned onto my back and lay there. Time was running out and I had no ideas what to do now.

"Oh, man. My head-WHERE THE FUCK AM I?!" Alfred jumped from the spot he had fallen, clutching the pipe in his hand as he looked around before spotting me. He quickly ran to me and looked me over, grimacing at the sight of my twisted, mangled, and broken leg.

"What happened, Ivan? How did I get here?!" Fear shown clearly in his blue eyes. His voice was more raspy than mine, a clear sign that he had been in here longer than I had. It was amazing he could manage so well. I frown. "Not now. Ludwig's in that room, we have to get him out." I point to the door. Alfred looked at it and nodding in confimination.

"No worries dude. The Hero's got it." Then he handed me the pipe and I dropped the plank to grab it. Surprisingly, with one swift stomp to it, Alfred managed to knock it down and he quickly ran in before running back out with a slightly burnt Ludwig. His breathing was heavy and he was sweating so much that he could make an ocean.

He stared at me and it didn't take me long before I realized that he was trying to figure out what to do. Then he made a noise and set Ludwig on the floor away from the fire before he ran a bit down a clear hallway and came back with a wheelchair that looked like it was in tact.

Alfred lifted me up and I hissed from the pain in my leg. As he set me in the chair, he then placed Ludwig in my lap and I held my lover close, despite his weight was heavy and hurt my broken leg.

Alfred then proceeded to get behind the chair and began to push. I gave him directions to how I got in as I clutched the pipe and Ludwig close to me.

~Arthur's POV~

We did indeed get to the burning building but when we did, there where police and firemen all over. The big fire trucks blocked out path and I pulled to a stop. With a curse, both Vlad and I got out of the car just in time to hear a loud crash and screaming coming from inside the building.

"Sirs, you can't go near there! Stand back!" A cop shouted and began to usher us back but Vlad broke free and ran to the building to where the scream came from. The cop turned and shouted something as the Russian went into the building through a window. The cop turned back to me. "Stay here." She ordered and shouted on the radio on her uniform as she ran to it only to stop suddenly.

Vlad was holding Ludwig in the window and firemen took him only for Vlad to reach down to pick up someone else, Ivan who was clutching a metal pipe and looked to have a broken leg. He passed Ivan to another fireman and picked up one last person with a gash at the neck and blood poured from the man's back.

When Vlad stepped out from the window, I managed to get a good look at the dead man and instantly fell to the ground crying. It was Alfred! My best friend was DEAD!

~Ludwig's POV~

I could hear voices. It wasn't so hot here. Was I dead? No. I don't think dead people can breathe. But breathing hurt. It wasn't of my will either. I felt a tube go down my throat. It hurt to move. The air I was being forced to breathe hurt. I wanted Ivan. I was in so much pain.

But then a soft voice. "It's alright." the voice was so soothing. She sounded do nice. "We'll make the pain go away. I'll get you some morphine." Morphine? So I was in a hospital? A nice one? How did I get here? I remember Ivan's voice but nothing else. Oh, I'm tired. I'm going to sleep now.

Yes. Sleep sounded really nice. Really nice indeed.


	20. Chapter 20

~Ivan's POV~

"Where's Gilbert?" I asked the man we believed to be my father. I'm beginning to believe it myself. But we won't have the DNA results for a long while. He sank into a chair beside my bed. Arthur's crying was echoing down the halls of the hospital.

"Don't worry. He's visiting that German of yours. Ludwig was it? He finally woke up." He informed and I sighed. At least he and Ivana, along with a heavily pregnant Francis of course were safe. "Does he know about Alfred?" I ask only quieter than I had before.

Vlad's eyes darkened. "I believe so. Arthur was in there when he woke up." I turned my attention to my leg in a cast. It would be months before I would get this off. The bones had been broken so bad that I had to have surgery to be rearranged (some had to be replaced with metal) before they put the cast on me.

"Did they decide on a date for the funeral? It has been a day already." Vlad shrugged. "Not that I am aware of. But there is a man who looks kind of like Alfred with a child on his lap. They seemed to be in shock."

I nod. "Yes. That's Matthew and Dan. Alfred's Cousin and first cousin...I have no clue but Dan viewed Alfred as an uncle. Poor Dan. Alfred was his rock. He loved him so much." Vlad looked to my face with an unconcerned face.

I snorted to myself, irritated at his blank look when memory struck me. "Were you ever in the Global Asylum?" That snapped him back to reality. "What?" He asked.

"I asked if you have ever been to the Global Asylum?" His eyebrow shot up. "Yes, when I was a little child. I got away though. Why do you ask?"

I responded with the roll of my eyes. "People in they Asylum, before we escaped, told me of a boy who looked an awful lot like me and he got away. You were the one who took care of Ludwig weren't you?" Vlad sighed.

He pulled his gloves and coat off and sank more in his seat. "Maybe. My memory just isn't what it used to be but I do remember caring for a young blonde boy. He never spoke to me though. Not one word. But then he had his first identity switch and people suggested I bring him to the Asylum. I have to admit, I was and still am, repulsed to the idea but what choice did I have. I was a mob boss. I was busy and always in danger of losing my life. If anything would happen to me, none of my men would have cared for my ward and so I dropped him off there." He turned his attention back to me.

"I never stopped regretting that decision. That place gave me more nightmares than it did to cure me. All it did was mess me up." My eyebrows scrunched in my confusion. What he was saying didn't make any sense to me.

Finally, I just had to ask. "Why were you there to begin with?" He cocked his head to the side in amusement. Like what I had just asked was more of a joke than anything. "Simple. I was placed in there for the same reason you were. Let me note that you were not put in there because of your cutting." He stated and looked at my scarred arms.

Then Vlad shook his head. "No, not at all. We were put in there because of our curse. We were freaks and the purple in our eyes proves it. We not only have the curse to father children with one go, but to bare them as well. Of course, others have that strange ability as well but they do not have the horrible half of this. The women in our family are mainly infertile and it is a miracle that any became pregnant at all." He took a deep breath and the room became grim.

"And any man who bore a child had more and higher chances of dying during the birth than surviving. I just thought you should be warned about that." He went quiet. "After all, I almost died giving birth after your mother had Natalia. The baby didn't survive."

~Matthew's POV~

The news was like weights being added onto our hearts. Both Dan and I, still in a state of shock, just stared ahead. Doctors, nurses and visitors passed us multiple times but neither of us said anything.

"Excuse me, Are you Matthew? Alfred's brother?" A soft and sad voice asked from my side and I turned to where it came from to see a woman with red hair and green eyes. "Cousin actually but we might as well have been brothers." I answer with a froggy voice.

"Who are you anyway?" I asked her. "Not to be rude, mind you." Her lips turned up into a hesitant and sad smile. "No worried. I'm Abby. Alfred's girlfriend."

This caught my attention. "Oh, you're THAT Abby. I am so sorry. I should have known." I say quickly, keeping my eyes away from her wheel chair. "I-I mean, with all the time that Alfred spoke about you-I-er...You're just as beautiful as he said. He loved you very much." She nodded, her small smile dropping.

"I loved him too. It hasn't been easy. But enough about me, I'm just his girlfriend, you two are his family...How are you two handling it?" I shrug. "I have no idea. It was just so sudden, I'm still in shock. One moment, he was smiling and happy, the next, I'm to be planning his funeral."

Abby nodded again and gently took Dan and sat him in her lap. He responded with a hug, something I hadn't been able to get him to do since we heard the news. I just let this happen. "I know what you mean. It doesn't seem real. None of it does." Her voice was cracking.

"It was a month ago. I had been planning to tell him. I was just so happy and excited because I was told I wouldn't be able to...you know. He was so patient, so understanding."

I shook my head. "I'm sorry, Abby. But I have no idea what you're talking about." I tell her softly and she looked up at me with watery eyes. "Matthew, I'm pregnant. I never got to tell Alfred that he was going to be a dad. Not once did I get the chance. I wanted to wait for three months to tell him because the baby is so easy to lose the first few months. Three months, I wanted to wait, just to make sure I was going to have a child and not lose it." Then she broke down and began to cry.

"He told me about how he wanted kids. He wanted a big house with lots and lots of kids on a farm with horses and a cow or two. He liked horses and cows. We were going to live on my Aunts farm since she passed away and left it to me."

I began crying too but I grabbed her hands, causing her to look up. "Alfred would have been happy to know you were pregnant with his child, Abby." I fought back a sob. "He would have loved that so much. And you know what, I will help you care for him or her."

Her eyes were bright through her tears. "Really?" She ask, her voice small. I nod and gave a humored smile. "Yes. After all, he once told me when we were little, what names he had picked out should he ever have any."

~Kiku's POV(Alfred's Funeral)~

Five months along, at Alfred's funeral. I do not think I am thinking clearly. How does Francis do it? He's nine months along and ready to give birth at any minute but he's standing strong beside Arthur who looked like he wanted to jump into the ground with Alfred's casket. Feliciano was beside me, baling his eyes out with a while tissue in his hand.

Romano eventually smacked his brother in the head and told him to 'suck it up' as he tried to hide tears of his own even in this rain. Then he came over to me and placed a hand on my stomach. He didn't smile but it was his way of assuring. Then there was Ivan who sat in a wheel chair with a broken leg. It was his turn to speak before the casket was lowered into the ground.

With a microphone in one hand, he sat under the tent to keep from getting wetter than what he was already. Ivan clutched his chest as he gave a painful smile "They said that life would be better when we won... They lied." He began.

~Ivan's POV~

Yao helped keep Ludwig upright as all the children including Gilbert, Dan, and Yen were off under and umbrella Francis was holding, Arthur stood beside him. As it was my turn to speak since I was the second one out of all of them, I grabbed the mic. I clutched my chest as I gave a painful smile "They said that life would be better when we won... They lied." I began.

"But I think that we all knew that all along." I fixed the wire that connected to the mic. "Even Alfred, no matter how dim witted he acted at times. He knew it all along and in his own ways, he told us this. We've just been blind to it." I paused.

"He had been missing for days and none of us had bothered to look for him. We didn't even know where to start. Mainly the reason was because we were all focused on Gilbert, Ivana, and Feliciano, all of who had been taken." Guilt had shown on everybody's face.

"But we did find him. It was in the fires of the old Asylum that everyone of us, save for the children, had escaped from. When we won the court, none of us had thought that our nightmares would come to haunt us again." Maggie began to whine and sniffed at Francis. "But we were wrong. The bitter truth is, they had implanted chips in us that would control us. And they got three. Only one, they kept. Those three were Feliciano, Alfred, and myself but out of us three, they kept Alfred. The reason is because they wanted his strength to kill me for leading you all out."

Maggie whined some more and pushed her doggy nose closer to the Frenchman who brushed her off. "Alfred died a hero that he bragged to be. The roof caved in and he pushed Ludwig and I out of the way, not allowing enough time for him to escape the collapse. So let's remember him for all the good times and forget the bad."

People broke out in agreement as noise escalated but what rang out was Francis going "ACK!" and bending over, holding his stomach. One look at him and Arthur was all I needed to know, Francis' due date was now. I gave them a nod and Arthur plucked up Francis, despite the weight and walked off, leaving the rest of them wondering what was going on.


	21. Chapter 21

~Ivan's POV~

The bed was soft and big when me and my family got home. For so long, we had been apart. It was a relief to be together once again. Ludwig lay beside me with a bothered expression. Turning, I gave a warm smile at my lover.

"What is wrong, Ludwig? You have been out of it all day." I whisper in his ear and wrap an arm around his waist, pulling him closer, minding my leg. He snuggled into my chest. "Ah, It's just that all this is over and we haven't had any time to ourselves." he complained. "It's depressing."

I smiled and snuggled lovingly into his blonde hair. "That is what happens when there are kidnappers and children involved." I say before giving him a kiss on the lips. "But we are alone now, love. Shall we take advantage of that?" He caught on and grinned.

"Why yes, I think we shall." Quick as a flash, he pushed me onto my back and lay on top of me and pressed his lips into my mouth and I responded happily. My hands gripped his thighs and squeezed, making him gasp and allowing me to push my tongue in. It was then that he moaned with my own following.

"I needed this." He moaned and his hands combed through my hair. "I needed this so much, Ivan." His kissed became hotter and needier and I felt a hand go up his shirt. Unconsciously, Ludwig placed his legs on either sides of my hips and ground into me, allowing me to groan and moan louder than what I had been doing.

My other hand went to his head and pushed it to mine so hard that our teeth scraped each others. But now both of us were panting and grinding as our tongues danced together and kisses grew hotter.

Sadly, that was when our beloved daughter began to cry from down the hall, breaking us apart. Still panting uneven breaths, Ludwig rolled off of me and onto the mattress, trying to catch his breath and calm down.

"Wonderful timing." I grumbled and Ludwig laughed before giving me another kiss. "She's just a baby." He said and placed a hand on my stomach. "And we will have another one in about eight months." I smiled.

"Da, we will. I can not wait to have my own body again." I cheered. Ludwig made a face at me. "What?" I ask.

"Wait until you're about eight months along before you start getting excited for your body back." He responded and I rolled my eyes but didn't argue further. After all, he would know. "Go care for the child before Gilbert wakes up."

"Too late." Gilbert piped up from the door way with a grin on his face. What he did next shocked us. He ran to the bed and jumped high in the air. "BONZAI!" He cried as he landed on the bed, making it jump and bounce. I ended up on the floor, holding my cast while Ludwig began to laugh his ass off and Gilbert apologized over and over.

Ludwig did eventually get to Ivana to feed her but only after we managed to get Gilbert in his own bed. When both kids were asleep, we had the most wonderful night, making love.

~Gilbert's POV (Eight months and two weeks later)~

I looked around the theme park and spotted many rides that I was finally able to go on since I was twelve now. I had waited so long for this moment as words from my past dream played out. I would fulfill my promise. Mama just wouldn't know it was from his son and brother all in one package.

I saw the ride where you got chained on and it spun really fast as gravity pushed you back. That was a ride I KNEW mama wanted to get on. I tugged on his arm and he adjusted Ivana in his arms who just cooed. "What is it, Gilbert? If you want to ride, go on ahead. papa and I will wait for you."

I shook my head violently. "No, I want you to ride with me!" I insisted. Mama looked hesitant but papa laughed and took my sister as she laughed. "Go ahead, Ludwig. I will watch her while you ride with him. I need to sit down anyway."

Mama looked down at papa. "Ivan, you're in a wheelchair. You're already sitting." he stated. Papa rolled his eyes. "Just get on the ride. We will be here when you get back. Right Princess?" He turned his smiling face to Ivana. She laughed and clapped.

"Yes!" She cheered. Toris whimpered from his place in the carrier and waved his hands around, waiting to be fed. Grandpa picked him up and fed him with his bottle. Mama sighed as he gave in and allowed me to drag him from ride to ride, all were for big kids and I wasn't afraid to go on any because I was with mama. I was with West.

As we got on the first ride, one sentence rung out in my mind and it was a dream I had from long ago.

"I promise, whenever I can, I'll take you on some bigger rides whenever you get to be around my age. I promise."


End file.
